Hostile
by Mallaithe
Summary: Highlander Stargate SG1 Crossover.'Adam Pierson' and a companion go to Central America under Adam's guise as a linguist, what they discover in an ancient Mayan pyramid will rock their world. COMPLETE please review suggestions or mockery always welcome
1. Intro

**A/N: **Hi, thanks for reading. This isn't quite finished but is close, also fair warning it may be severely revised at some point. I just hate leaving a story hanging especially as it seemed there were quite a few of you who wanted more chapters. So here it is so far. I usually don't post things until they're finished and I am reasonably happy because I hate leaving people hanging. So, anyway on to the show.

**P.S. **I usually throw my stories into an AU season because I'm lazy and don't want to sort out all the details, however if you see any glaring errors please alert me.

**P.P.S **I didn't watch any season 10 SG-1 w/Vala Mal Doran until recently, Max is wholly original to me but there are definite similarities, so sorry :D. But Max is mine all mine! And I didn't model her after Vala although I love Vala Claudia Black is awesome :D

**P.P.S.** She's finished now, plus a sweet sequel!

* * *

Meet Max Holloway, Max looks like a pretty twenty something. She is five foot five, one hundred forty pounds. She has short hair that just barely reaches the bottom of her earlobes, it is wildly curly. It is a beautiful brown auburn with natural streaks of blonde. Her eyes are a rich green, her face is a little too round for such short hair but she has high cheekbones and an exceptionally athletic body. She is mostly lean hard muscle, her hips are thin and boyish, her breasts more pectoral muscle than mammary tissue. She prefers to wear jeans, boots and similar simple but stylish clothing. It is also very functional. She looks to be at most twenty-five. Her lips are thin and cunning.

She is in actuality forty-five; under her favorite battered brown leather jacket she carries a cunningly designed collapsible sword. The sword will not stand up to combat for long, but it is exceptionally convenient given her lifestyle. Her age and appearance are explained by the fact that she is immortal. At twenty-two she was raped and murdered, she woke up alone in a park covered in sticky blood and wearing the remnants of her shredded clothing. She gleefully tortured her murderer to death six months later.

Max kills; it is what she is good at and what she enjoys. In the twenty-three years since she became immortal she has killed more than one immortal a year on average. No one has kept a tally of her mortal kills. In spite of her blood lust she is not a bad person by most definitions. She pays her taxes, works hard at her chosen profession as a legal aide, and is utterly loyal to her friends who in the immortal world are the only family that unfortunate species is permitted. Still, her Watcher and others consider her a terrible force; she could be a champion or a destroyer.

Max tapped her teeth with an eraser and glared at the yellow notepad in front of her. She was attempting to plot out a garden. She was not a horticulturalist, all she knew about plants was that they needed water and fertilizer and sun and that the wrong combination of any of the above could kill a plant stone dead. She had three highly recommended gardening books laid out in front of her; each was peppered with brightly colored place markers. To her right was a steadily increasing pile of crumpled paper. The pile had spilled over the edge of the cherry wood desk and cascaded onto the floor. At her feet a small bright eyed tabby kitten leapt and gamboled gleefully treating the wads of paper like a magical jungle.

The pencil snapped in her tensed hand as she once again attempted to sketch out a basic design. She sighed and tossed the broken utensil on the desk top.

"Hey stupid cat." She crooned and scooped up the wriggling kitten. It mewed its kitten meow and licked her hand.

She got up and stretched. Max stared out her bay window at the gorgeous view below. She loved her home, Seacouver was the only home she had ever known. She was fortunate to own her own little house complete with a stunning view of the city. She set her kitten down and picked up a half full wastepaper basket. With a controlled hostility she scooped the mass of wadded paper, the broken pencil and the notepad into the wastebasket and piled the books in on top of it. She rummaged in her desk and pulled out a battered sad looking phone book. She opened to the L section and started calling landscapers.

As the sun set over the city and her bay window lit up with reflected light she slipped out her back door. She was wearing skin tight running shorts, battered shoes, an underarmor shirt and a wind breaker. She didn't bother with headphones; she didn't like the idea of not being able to hear people and traffic. Up above her the kitten slept on the padded bench in front of the window.

Max set out slowly at first. Her entire life she had hated running, it still wasn't her favorite past time, but being able to run down a kill or outrun a more skilled or cunning opponent was worth the pain and discomfort. As she moved further down the block and her muscles loosened up her breathing steadied and her pace increased. A quarter mile from her home she veered right into a large public park. There was an excellent trail skirting the park, complete with conditioning stations spaced every eighth of a mile. She circled the trail once and then paused to use every other station, her third time around she swapped and used the stations she had skipped the first time. After her third circuit she headed further into the city.

When she arrived home two hours after leaving her clothing was soaked through with sweat. She staggered into her kitchen and downed a bottle of water. Stripping her clothing off in her bedroom she kicked the sopping clothes into a hamper and patiently peeled away the Velcro holding her collapsible sword to the small of her back. She tossed the blade onto her bed and walked into the shower. The kitten freshly woken padded into the room and stretched. It began stalking a dust mote in the corner of the room.

Her phone next to her bed blinked rapidly and then the answering machine picked up.

"Hey Max! MAAAAAAAAXIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE! Fine don't answer the phone you fuckin bum. CALL ME!" A youthful masculine voice crooned into the machine. Max finished her shower and dressed in loose jeans, a long sleeved T-shirt and a zip up hoodie. She ran a hand through her damp curls and pushed the play button on the answering machine. She smiled at the message and shook her head.

Max hurried downstairs and snatched her purse off a table she stepped out into the warm night air and locked her door. She only lived a few blocks from her friends' favorite bar so she hoofed it down the street. She smiled as she felt the familiar presence of her closest friends.

Entering the bar she waved at the staff and studied the sparse crowd. After all it was a Wednesday night. She smiled as Gorwen, one of the waitresses set a gin and tonic down at her group's table. Max sat down in front of the drink and thumped the man to her right roughly in the shoulder. The man grinned and put her in a headlock. She started laughing and cried uncle. He released her.

"Geese Richie way to leave a super sweet message you know if I had a room mate that could be a very rude experience for her."

"Yeah like anyone you aren't boffing could stand to live with you." Richie teased. Max thumped him soundly upside the head. He winced and rubbed his scalp.

"Serves you right." A languorous voice interrupted.

Richie was a lean man, his short hair bleached by the summer sun to a purer blond than normal. His face was lightly stubbled with a boyish beard his blue eyes glittered at Max.

Across from Richie stretched her friend Adam. Adam was the oldest in their group although she didn't know his true age. He was a tall thin man with wiry strength and wry humor.

To Max's right sat the stolid and true Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod over four hundred years old and the truest friend a man or woman could have. He was also rather set in his ways. Richie was Mac's student, Max was a sort of free agent while Adam reluctantly and snarkily fulfilled the role of a wise man. It was by far his least favorite role and one he indulged in with a devil's advocate view which could be so maddening to his younger companions that they often avoided involving him in their affairs which was ultimately his goal.

Richie finished rubbing his head and gestured for another round. Gorwen arrived with three beers and a refill for Max. Max downed both drinks and waved Gorwen off as she moved to collect the glasses.

"Its all right Gorwen I'll bring them up." She said. Gorwen shrugged and returned to the bar.

"So Mac how goes the restoration?" Max inquired cheekily. Mac would occasionally take on projects. From a broken down barge in the Seine to an old fixer upper house years ago. This time he had taken on an old manor house and it was a nightmare.

"Hey Max you like old movies, you ever see that one with Tom Hanks where he and his wife buy this house and their marriage like crumbles?"

"Yeah the Money Pit great movie." Mac was stoically ignoring them.

"You catch that movie Adam?" Adam chuckled and leaned back so his chair was balanced on two legs; he picked up his beer and took a long pull.

"Yeah it was rather good." He admitted.

"You don't even like pop culture." Mac accused.

"Heh." Adam said.

Max and Richie started to cackle like fools. Mac conceded a temporary defeat and ordered the next round. As Gorwen reached for the drinks Max again prevented her from taking the empty glasses.

"Why do you do that?" Richie asked.

"What?"

"You never let anyone take your dishes or glasses." She shrugged and took a long pull on her drink.

"I don't know, I have this like ingrained hatred of being waited on. It drives me nuts."

"You are a complete freak." Richie said helpfully. She flipped him off and stole his beer.

"Yeah well you aren't exactly normal Ryan." She said cryptically. He blushed clear to the roots of his hair and waved for another round.

"Oh what's this, our little Richie has something to hide?" Adam jabbed with a grin. Richie ignored the jibe and concentrated on the table top.

"He does this thing-" Richie kicked her viciously under the table.

"Ow!" She glared at the blonde man.

"So, Adam how's the university?" Mac asked being diplomatic. Adam let his chair drop to the floor and reached for a fresh beer.

"Well enough. The students actually try which is gratifying."

"What exactly do you teach?" Max asked taking the bait.

"Dead languages and history."

"And Mac what do you teach?"

"Historical warfare."

"Wow you guys are _really_ reaching." She said solemnly.

"What? Look realistically I could teach about a lot of things, but I'm lazy and languages are easy for me, particularly languages that I actually spoke." Adam said defensively. She turned her gaze on Mac. He shrugged.

"Ditto." Mac said shortly. She sighed.

"Fine teach what you know lazy bones." She conceded. They continued bickering and drinking until Joe the bar's owner and their big brother/daddy figure and retired watcher chased them out.

The next day Max didn't have to work so she drove out to the University of Washington campus and sat in on one of Adam's classes. As the students filed out she sat in the back row until the crush eased. As the last stragglers picked up their books she sauntered down the aisle to Adam's desk. He was sitting on the top elbows on his knees answering questions for two female students.

"I'm still not understanding Professor, could you maybe tutor me?"

"Yeah sorry Alison, I'm not a cradle robber, but here take this it's a list of competent grad students who are desperate for cash and would love to tutor you." He said handing the size two blonde in front of him a pre-printed sheet of paper. She accepted it graciously and she and her friend left laughing.

"Stimulating instruction." Max said archly.

"Don't start with me; you know I could have security toss your butt off campus." He said cattily.

"Oooh sleep badly?" she teased.

"Meh, make yourself useful and grab that box." He said picking up a massive tome and a briefcase. The box he referred to was a small cardboard affair filled with papers.

"Pop quizzes? You beast." She teased.

"Yes, I am the dreaded pop quiz giver outer." He intoned menacingly. She laughed and followed him out the cramped classroom. His office was meticulously organized but spartanly furnished. The walls were filled with bookshelves, even the wall behind his desk was filled with books from floor to ceiling. His desk was a simple particle board construct with faux pine finish. His chair was far more comfortable as befitted his sybaritic nature. In front of the desk was a ratty loveseat.

She put the box down on his desk and sprawled on the loveseat. Adam began organizing his desk and stacking the papers from the box. He slipped his huge book into a drawer and locked it.

"Do you actually want something Max or are you just here to bug the shit out of me?"

"Both I think." She said unhelpfully. He watched her as she lay backwards across his couch and stared at the ceiling. He genuinely liked Max. She was a modern pragmatist with a lust for survival. He respected her decisions much as he respected Mac's although she rarely ran head first into suicidal situations, which was a nice change. But she had been languishing in Seacouver for her entire life.

"Do you want to learn a language?" He asked.

"Yeah I think so. I mean . . . I don't know."

"What? Out with it."

"I have this amazing thing going for me right? And I'm pretty good at not getting myself killed right? So why am I miserable? I love you guys, and I dig this town but I _hate_ my life. And its not the killing, its not even my nowhere job where my fat ass sixty something boss keeps grabbing my ass and gesturing at the oh so romantic janitor's closet, I don't know what it is Adam but it's making me bugfuck."

"You know what ennui is?"

"No."

"It's French, basically its boredom of the soul. You're bored Max, and not in a lets call our pals and have pizza tonight kind of way. You need a big time change or you'll probably become clinically depressed."

"We can do that?"

"Sure, clinical depression is a chemical imbalance not an infection."

"Does Mac know about this?" She asked with a gleam in her eye.

"No and he would be more of a bi polar case than a clinical depressive. Don't change the subject." She managed to look suitably sheepish.

"Look I'm going out of town in a few days, I'll be gone for at least four months, on a sabbatical. I'll be advising a team digging in Central America, some kind of unidentified ruins. You wanna come along?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well won't it be obvious if your T.A. is completely ignorant?"

"Who said you'd be my T.A.?"

* * *

The chopper's blades chewed the air above her head as she cursed her too short hair and pulled her kerchief tighter around her head struggling to keep her curls from beating her face. She reached into the cargo area and began unloading bags, packages, and boxes. Finally Adam hopped out and joined her. They remained crouched until the chopper gained height and moved off.

"That was loud and shitty." She said conversationally.

She removed the kerchief off her head and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans. Adam grinned at her. He was wearing a booney hat, sunglasses, jeans, hiking boots and dark blue T-shirt. She was dressed similarly. Two hundred yards away three tents were set up forming the base camp of the summer dig. She grimaced and hefted one of the larger boxes. Adam watched her effortlessly haul the supplies to the camp. The camp was deserted as expected. He had been warned by Dr. Robinson that the whole camp would be out at the dig when they arrived.

Adam helped Max haul the rest of the equipment and supplies to the center of the tents. The largest tent was filled with tables, specimens and research equipment. The second largest was the larder and kitchen and the smallest was filled with cots and baggage. Adam set their personal gear in the living quarters and began breaking down the boxes. Max helped gamely.

Adam decided Max's best bet for cover would be as his assistant. That way her ignorance could be more easily dismissed. She still had a dozen books in her pack to help her learn more about his chosen cover. Max began hauling pallets of canned and freeze dried goods into the cook tent. Sweat rolled down her back and soaked her clothes. She sighed and wiped at her forehead. The jungle she decided was not somewhere she was going to remember fondly.

Beyond the confines of the tent strange insects sang, animals yelled, and birds cried. Her skin crawled at a particularly soulful wail. She shook her head definitely not going to be seeking out anymore jungle journeys she thought.

"Hey." Adam said coming up behind her.

"Remind me to say no to anything involving a jungle on future occasions."

"Ah yes, how's that hating your life thing?"

"Feeling better now Doc can I go back to A/C and running water?"

"Alas such is not to be, we have yet more victuals and sundry strange boxes to deal with yet." She grinned and headed back for another pallet.

As she was stacking some unlabeled semi-mysterious boxes under a sunshade erected over the center of the camp she felt a light tap on her elbow. Adam handed her a nice cold beer. She groaned happily and accepted it. She sat down on a damp camp chair and opened the bottle. He stood before her enjoying his own. It tasted divine. She sighed happily and gestured at the chair next to hers. Adam shrugged and accepted, managing to sprawl with the same boneless effort he used at any other time.

"So what's the deal did the locals just not hear the chopper?"

"No Dr. Robinson said that most of the team would be at the dig when we arrived. Apparently it's rather exciting."

"Adam?"

"Yes."

"Whatever it is has been sitting in the jungle, moldering away peacefully for like a thousand freaking years."

"So?"

"So I'm just saying its creepy to arrive here and have no one to meet us, I've seen this movie, late at night on the Sci Fi Channel and everybody in it dies badly."

"You're immortal."

"It's still creepy." Adam started to laugh.

"They'll be here before dark."

"If you say so." She closed her eyes and ran the ice cold beer bottle over her face and chest. The humid jungle was going to be murderous she thought wearily.

"Ah you must be our new arrivals!" A jovial male voice interrupted her reverie. She stood, finished off her beer and peered around Adam to see who the speaker was.

"I'm Steve." The newcomer said extending a hand. He was a small man about five foot six and slightly soft but his hand was strong and callused. Max grinned at him. He had long jet black curly hair; it was pulled away from his face with a rubber band. He had intelligent brown eyes and nice features.

"Max Holloway I'm Dr. Pierson's assistant. We've just arrived."

"Dr. Robinson asked me to come up ahead of the rest and give you a hand with the supplies, looks like I'm a little late."

"We like to make ourselves useful." Adam said offering the young man his own hand.

"I'm just a lowly grad student subject to the whims of those God has seen fit to appoint over me professor, pleased to meet you, Dr. Robinson nearly had kittens when she got word you had agreed to assist on the dig." Steve said with a wink. Adam smiled and inclined his head in acknowledgement of the compliment. 

"The only equipment we couldn't figure out were these two crates." Adam said and gestured at the crates in the center of the camp.

"Well with a little luck they'll be the lighting system Dr. Robinson requested, or it may be anything on God's green earth, our supplies have been a little hit and miss the last few trips." Steve said with a laugh. He ducked into the cook tent and emerged with a crowbar. With expert finesse he pried off the lid of the first crate, managing to remove it in one piece. Inside lurked a complex bundle of electric cables and light stands. Steve and Adam set the crate on the ground and began opening the second. That crate revealed a small gasoline operated generator.

"What is all this for?" Max asked not caring if her ignorance shone through, she was allowed to be dumb this time out.

"Dr. Robinson discovered a chamber inside the pyramid, it seems to be massive but she wanted to get a clear look. That's probably where they'll need you most Dr. Pierson its where the majority of the strange writing has been discovered."

"I see so the lights are to allow closer scrutiny."

"You've got it. Tomorrow we'll hump 'em down there."

"When can the others be expected?" Max asked.

"Oh half an hour at most."

"Would you like to show me how to run the cook tent? I'm sure they'd appreciate a hot, well a meal when they get in."

"Yeah how's the weather huh? I definitely know what dry heat isn't now." Steve said laughing. Max allowed the young man to take the lead. She wanted to give Adam a few minutes to look around the camp, snoop, and get his bearings.

With Max looking on and offering encouraging bits of acerbic but well timed advice Steve managed to fashion an edible mass out of the dried and canned goodies filling the tent. She helped him haul out a folding table into the communal area and load it for dinner. It took them forty-five minutes total and they were just finishing when the rest of the researchers drew into ear shot. Adam materialized just before the first member of the expedition became visible.

Max stepped into Adam's shadow.

"Find anything cool?"

"Later." He grunted.

She shrugged and stepped to his side. Adam made introductions all around. Dr. Robinson a tough determined red head who was in charge of the expedition, she thanked them both for escorting the supplies and exclaimed over the lighting equipment. While the other members of the expedition were eating and talking at the table Dr. Robinson was meticulously updating her expedition journal and eating robotically.

"Dr. Robinson, may I ask how you found this site?" The good doctor set aside her fork and continued entering information into her notebook.

"Call it a hunch." She said glancing up at Max. Max smiled her sweetest curious yet harmless smile, but Robinson didn't continue.

The group was made up of two research assistants, two bonafide doctorate professor types and Adam and Max. Apparently their guide had quarreled with Robinson after learning what site the archaeologist intended to investigate and had abandoned the dig.

After the meal Max made a point of getting acquainted with the grad students. Aside from Steve there was another young man. Carl, slightly older and leaner than Steve, but he didn't posses Steve's charms.

"Hi Carl." Max said as she approached the dour blonde man. He was sitting at the community table with several papers spread in front of him.

"Need a hand?"

"Why? So you can scoop my research?"

"Uh Carl? I'm a secretary I don't know a damn thing about the ancient world, and my boss? He's a world renowned linguist so chill okay?" Carl narrowed his stunning sky blue eyes at her and returned to his work. Max sighed and moved off toward where she had last seen Steve.

"Hey, what's up with Mr. Cranky pants?" She asked sitting next to Steve.

"Carl has a hair up his ass, claims his research was stolen on his last dig."

"Yeah apparently dumbass secretaries are a threat." Steve laughed.

"What?"

"I wouldn't exactly call you a dumbass Max." She shrugged.

"Yeah I'm smart but I don't know anything about well, any of this. Living in the jungle, digging up ancient tombs, local guides wigging out . . .doesn't a lot of this strike you as bad movie of the weekish?"

"What?"

"You know arrogant western researchers stumble onto prized secret of primitive yet noble and powerful people and get killed for being arrogant?"

"I think you probably watch too much television."

"Okay, so educate me."

"On what?"

"What this hunk of stone is doing here."

"I don't have a clue. That's Dr. Robinson's purview, and your Dr. Pierson is supposed to be able to help piece together the puzzle. Okay it's like this for a number of different reasons a lot of the still surviving structures in the ancient world happen to be pyramids, mostly because that's the sturdiest tallest structure that can be fashioned with stone and limited technology, but this pyramid has more in common with the pyramids of Egypt than the Aztecs or Mayans. Particularly in one area, the center of the pyramid holds a large chamber and on the walls of that chamber are, well I'll let you see for yourself. So Robinson had to concede defeat and call in reinforcements thus the arrival of the prestigious Dr. Pierson."

"Okay, so how famous is Dr. Pierson?"

"You don't know?"

"I was hired to type and take messages." She pointed out. He shrugged.

"He's like the heavy gun. If you have something that absolutely positively cannot be translated you take it to Dr. Adam Pierson, or you try to, he can be hard to track down and even if you can find him he doesn't take on every job he's offered, he might just laugh at you and kick you out of his office. As far as I know he's never been unable to translate a language."

"Wow, cool. So he's like the Batman of ancient linguistics?"

"Sure."

"I am so Robin." She crowed. He grinned at her and cast his eyes over the darkening jungle.

"You might want to hit the sack super hero the jungle is a freaky place at night." She laughed and led the way.

"Max?" Adam called as they returned to camp. Max hurried over playing the obedient tag along flunky for all she could.

"What's up?" She asked. The camp was mostly deserted.

"What have you discovered?"

"Steve's cool, Carl is a creepy paranoid mean guy. The local guide Robinson hired got in a fight with her and took off when he saw what they were poking at, I overheard Robinson and the other professor arguing about it during dinner, and apparently there's a big ass chamber inside the pyramid with a whole bunch of writing that doesn't make any sense."

"I see that's all?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Also you are Batman and I am Robin."

"Did you drink the jungle water?" She grinned.

"Hit the sack I'll be in soon." She shrugged and headed off to claim her cot.

She was aching for a good solid sleep after their jacked up journey from the states and loading and unloading all the supplies a couple times. Her arms burned lightly and she was eagerly looking forward to her bug spray and bed. She slept well and deep and woke up tired in the morning. It was predawn and Adam was shaking her awake.

"Gah, it had better be dark out 'cause this is a really thick tent Adam and not because you decided it would be awesome to wake me up before dawn." She grumbled and pulled her sleeping bag closer. Adam grabbed her cot and flipped her out of it. She landed with a gasp of exhaled air and a string of curses.

"Come on, we've got to get that gear out to the dig, its still cool out now but it will heat up as soon as the sun comes up."

"Adam it's the freaking jungle, at night."

"I'll protect you." He said with a grin. She threw her pack at him. Ten minutes later she was dressed fed and ready to go although she was still very unhappy.

"Adam this is not a great idea; we don't even know where the dig is."

"That's what I'm for." Steve said standing up from where he'd been crouched next to the crates.

"Ah, of course. Fine let's go if we're going." She mumbled and picked up the smaller crate. She set it down and looped several lengths of rope over it fashioning a make shift harness. Slipping the harness on she shouldered the crate and looked at the men.

"Come on then." She said to Steve's surprised expression.

"She is much stronger than she seems." Adam confided as the two men began dragging the second heavier crate down the path. Max trudged along until the path started to become obscured by growth. She lowered the crate and waited for the men. They arrived a few minutes later dragging the generator.

"How much farther?" She asked.

"Oh about a hundred feet dead ahead." Steve said gasping for breath. Adam looked fine, hardly a hair out of place although sweat had left nasty Vs of sweat soaked through their clothing. Max nodded, picked up her crate and kept going. She waited momentarily for the men to catch up not wanting to plunge into the jungle alone, even for just a few hundred feet. As a group with Steve's pants filling her ears they emerged through the jungle and beheld the dig.

Max couldn't see it at first. All she saw was a low mountain shouldering through the jungle to emerge in the clear bright air. Then she saw the dig toward the base of the mountain, and realized the mountain wasn't a mountain at all.

"Holy shit, Steve that whole damn thing is the pyramid?"

"Yeah something isn't it?" Steve gasped gratefully lowering the crate and unlooping the ropes they'd used to drag it from around his shoulders. He sighed and massaged his shoulders.

"Adam are you seeing this?" She asked.

"Yes it is impressive." His voice held none of the awe that Max's had, or the pride Steve's had. His voice held warning.

"Let's take a look." Adam said in the same subdued tone and led the way toward the cleared entranceway. Max lowered her burden and followed.

There were several huge flashlights stacked next to the entrance. Max accepted one from Adam and they both waited and allowed Steve to lead the way. The entrance was small, built perhaps with smaller people in mind. It was three feet squared and led down at an uncomfortable angle, just sharp enough to put pressure on calves and ankles that would shortly become excruciating combined with the low height it looked to be a most miserable journey. Adam and Max gamely followed. Sure enough after a half hour of walking their legs were complaining loudly and Steve called a halt.

"How freaking deep is this thing?"

"Uh another ten minutes should get us there; I'm not sure about the depth. Robinson will know." Steve said grinning at her in her flashlight beam.

"We're going to have to break down the crates and carry the gear in individually. Maybe leave the generator at the entrance." Adam observed. Steve nodded.

"Yeah definitely no way to get it all down here as is."

"Is there enough cord?" Max asked.

"There should be, if not we can scavenge the camp." Steve said wiping at his forehead.

"Right well lets get down there and get an idea of where we want the gear to be set up then you two can start hauling the gear in." Adam said. Max gave him a speculative look but Steve didn't seem put out, she guessed it made sense that Adam would start to study the writings right away. She sighed and nodded. A little more than ten minutes passed and Steve vanished from sight.

"Steve?!" Max called mildly alarmed.

"It's okay I'm all right there's a short drop at the end of the tunnel. It's okay really." Steve called. Max shook her head and muttered about irritating show offs but followed after. Adam remained silent and brought up the rear.

Finally Max reached the end and sitting down on the lip of the tunnel hopped down into the main chamber. It was too dark to see much detail and her flashlight didn't illuminate much. She searched around for Steve and smiled, relieved when she saw him.

"Jerk." She said and he laughed.

"Come on Dr. Pierson you'll love this." Steve said and led him toward the opposite wall. Max tagged along. What little she could see of the chamber was remarkable, in spite of its great age only a thin layer of gritty rock dust coated the otherwise impeccably straight and smooth floor. Her boots scraped loudly on the grit as she trailed after the men.

"Here, this is why the she-bitch of academia called you in." Steve said and shone his flashlight upwards.

The pinpoint light revealed rows and rows of cramped hieroglyphics from the giant ceiling at least a hundred feet above their heads down to the very edge of the wall. Max stepped forward and ran a hand over the dusty carvings, sheets of loose sandy dust drifted into the air.

"Wow, this is a little weird." Max said.

"This isn't weird Max, it's unheard of. According to our radar scans the structure of this building matches similar temples from the ancient Mayan periods in this same region, but there has never been any evidence of any contact between any civilization in the Americas and ancient Egypt, until now." Steve said gleefully.

"Adam?" Max called. Adam was standing riveted in front of the carvings his eyes scanning the images seemingly oblivious to the other two. Steve shook his head.

"Don't worry about him, we'll start getting the lights in here, he'll be fine." Steve said taking Max's arm. She shrugged his hand off and turned for the tunnel. As their lights and voices grew faint Adam kept staring his lips moving as he read the lines. His flashlight flickered and died. He closed his eyes and lowered his head. Softly, faintly, he whispered one word, "Goa'uld."


	2. Camping with Aliens

Max and Steve began breaking down the smaller crate and arranging the cords and lighting stands so they could be bundled and carried into the chamber. They dragged the generator as close to the entrance as they could manage.

"I don't know if we're going to have enough cord Steve." Max said studying the bundles.

"Don't worry about it Max, we'll make it work. Half the stuff on these digs ends up jury rigged anyway; we'll probably end up basically living here once the lighting is set up."

"You're the boss." She said and continued securing the lighting and cables.

"Max why are you a secretary?"

"What?"

"Okay you're like way stronger than me; you don't know a damn thing about academia or ancient history . . ."

"Your point?"

"You're a weirdo." Steve said and grinned. She shoved him in the chest and knocked him down, grinning she stood over him.

"Yeah, but I'm well paid." He grinned at her and she hauled him to his feet.

"Look I'm more than a secretary, obviously you dunder head but I like the work, it's easy, Adam's a great boss and hey when I'm really lucky I get to go to the jungle and argue with bitter grad students." Steve held his hands up defensively. She bent to her work and shouldered a hefty load.

"Coming?" She challenged the student. He shook his head and took the last, smaller bundle. She led the way this time, she clipped her flashlight to her belt and used her hands to balance and secure the load. She heard Steve walking behind her.

"This is going to suck Max." He called.

"Yeah but this way we only make a couple trips rather than a dozen, or can't you hack it bookworm?"

"Screw you pencil pusher." He hollered back. They ceased the chatter a few minutes into the trek, concentrating on breathing and not cramping up. Finally Max reached the chamber. She dropped down to the floor with a relieved sigh.

"Come on Steve almost there." She called. She unrolled her bundle and guided by her flashlight began untangling the cords and setting up the light stands. She unfolded the stands and set them aside focusing on the cords. If they didn't have enough cable to reach the generator she would be seriously annoyed. She focused on the work and accepted Steve's bundle when he crawled out of the tunnel.

"Adam where do you want these?" She called to the other immortal.

"At least one for each corner." He said distractedly.

She nodded and began setting up the stands. She and Steve continued working. The soft scratching of Adam's pen on paper and their few exchanged words the only sounds in the long dead chamber. Finally they had everything inside the chamber arranged as well as they could without light.

"Okay why don't you head out first, you can get the generator set up and I'll follow with the cable." She said to Steve. He nodded wearily. While the massive walls of the pyramid helped insulate the chamber from the jungle heat there was little ventilation and the air inside had become hot and close from their exertions. He scuttled into the shaft and vanished.

"Adam? What's wrong?" She asked concerned.

"I'm fine Max. This is an astounding discovery." He didn't look away from his notebook. She studied his hunched shoulders and intent expression. Adam may be into languages but she suspected there was more at work here.

"Sure look I'll bring some rations down next time. If you're going to live down here you'll need food." He didn't acknowledge her as she left. Max was annoyed at Adam's attitude but not entirely surprised. These academics were a completely different social species. She shook her head and looped a length of cable across her chest. Using the step ladder in front of the passage as a boost she levered herself into it and began humping the cable up toward the entrance.

Sweaty and annoyed she emerged to discover Steve kicking the crap out of the generator. She sighed and adjusted the cable on her shoulder. The sun was up and Max could hear the approach of the other members of the dig. She sighed and wiped at her forehead. Digging her legs into the loose jungle soil at the lip of the entrance, she tugged on the cable loosening a few more feet of length. Satisfied she hauled the lot over to the uncooperative generator and dropped it next to Steve.

"What's up?"

"Damn thing won't turn over."

"Well, how's the battery?" She asked and bent to look.

"I assume Dr. Pierson is in the chamber?" A querulous voice demanded snottily.

Max turned and met the gaze of the other egghead on the dig. A Doctor Emil Stackhof, also known as pompous pain in the ass. But he was very good at his job and actually managed to get along with Robinson most of the time. Both Robinson and Stackhof were too grateful to have Adam at the dig to act up too much but help was help, whether that help was a grad student or an assistant was irrelevant. She grinned predatorily at the little dictator and smirked.

"Yes, doctor, he sure is." She said brightly and returned to tinkering with the generator with Steve's help. Steve bit his lip to avoid bursting into laughter as his eyes met hers.

"I see. I will be continuing my work on the surface, please see that Carl joins me when he arrives." Stackhof said pompously ignoring the fact that Max wasn't actually _his _assistant. She waited until he had turned his back and begun to stalk regally up the pyramid before flipping him off.

"Wow, these next months are going to be interesting." Steve said shaking his head.

"I have authority issues, particularly with assholes who have no authority over me. I mean honestly what is with these two?" Steve shrugged and opened the engine compartment on the generator.

"I don't know they're very good at their specialties so people let them get away with bullshit I guess."

"Whatever, here's an idea, did you prime the pump?"

"Prime what?"

She chuckled and leaned over him pressing a pop-it on the Carburetor. Fuel swirled into the little ball. She jerked the starter cord and smiled as the little motor coughed caught and turned over. It purred along for a few minutes happily.

"Cool, now we need to haul some fuel down here." Steve said. Max's stomach growled.

"Lunch would be good too; I told Mr. oh-so-busy downstairs that I'd bring some food for him."

"No problem." Steve said. They began heading back up toward the camp. Max listened to the strange lullaby of the utterly foreign jungle creatures and thought.

* * *

In the chamber Adam was continuing his note taking. With the now working lighting system his work increased its pace. His eyes were fevered and his pencil down to a nub. He wiped sweat from his face and kept working. The mortals could never know of the true translation of this wall, they could never know that the legend inscribed on it was no legend but a fact.

"This tastes terrible." Max said wincing over her plate of rehydrated macaroni and cheese.

"Yeah but it's supposed to be nutritious." Steve said pouring hot sauce on his own portion.

"Yeah I think I'd rather be less nutritious in this case. Is all the food you lot have this inedible?"

"Pretty much. Hot sauce helps." She sighed and accepted his bottle. She thoroughly doused her portion and choked it down.

They cleaned up their meal and Max slipped a few packets of rations in her cargo pockets on her work pants, strapped a machete to her right leg and picked up two cans of gasoline.

"Going to war?"

"I like to travel in style, pony up or shut up boy." She challenged and headed back to the site.

Steve groaned and gripped two more cans of fuel and began hauling them behind Max. They arrived at the generator shortly Max filled it with her first can and then stacked the other three. Steve mumbled something about joining Dr. Robinson and headed up the exterior of the pyramid toward Stackhof, Robinson, and Carl. Max shrugged and wriggled into the shaft. She heaved a relieved sigh as she plopped into the chamber.

"I suppose it would be a huge no-no to grab a pickaxe and raise the roof of that thing huh?" She asked Adam rhetorically as she reached into her pockets and retrieved the food.

"ADAM!" She shouted Adam twitched blinked and smiled at her.

"Good lord, what does it take? A freaking bomb going off?"

"Sorry." Adam said somewhat sheepishly and set his notebook aside, he was careful to close it and place it out of reach. Max sat next to him and watched him open a packet of noodles and add water from a canteen.

"Look I'm supposed to be your assistant right? So let me assist."

"Max you've done more than enough for one day. This whole lighting set up would have taken these idiots days to set up without you. You have done plenty."

"Yeah I worked my tail off but there is still something bothering you, something about this chamber and do not try to feed me that 'find of the century' crap. You were worried about this the moment you saw this thing."

"Max, you do not know me as well as you sometimes think. There are some things that I will reveal to no man or woman. This is one, content yourself with that." Max glared, she felt her rage hot and familiar in her gut, the machete felt heavy at her side.

"Fine Adam. I'll make myself useful up top." She said quietly.

He did not reply as she scrambled back into the passage. He listened to her soft shuffling steps until they faded away. Picking up his notebook he studied the translation.

_And the gods in that place were all powerful and cruel. They owned the day and the night and the people trembled before their might. Their voices were as thunder, their gaze the light of the stars. They demanded much of the people including their children. The Chapa'ai claimed the children in the name of the gods and sorrow ruled there. The people cried out to their gods and death came and dwelled among them, the gods grew wroth and denied the people the brilliance of their presence. The people rose as one then and buried the Chapa'ai less the gods should return._

Adam sighed and scrubbed his face. There was more both before and after the last passage. But he was so tired and the warnings sent tremors through his soul. He would heed his master's words; the Goa'uld must never be allowed to return to earth. If they realized the Tau'ri, the first people had achieved such massive technical advancements the cowardly Goa'uld would be afraid. They would seek to destroy the Tau'ri governments and regain control. Or simply exterminate all life on the earth. Adam whispered a prayer to the long dead gods of his nearly forgotten youth and hoped fervently that the Chapa'ai at least still lay entombed in the hard earth of Egypt. He closed his eyes and cursed his fortune.

* * *

Max was busily organizing the cook tent and trying not to die of sweating. She had decided that she hated the jungle, she hated it the way raggedy ass alley cats hate water, the way that . . . well a lot. She sighed and sat down on a beat up camp chair.

Adam was pissing her off. They had a good relationship based on trust and respect and he was definitely hiding something and shutting her out. Okay so he was over a thousand times her age and the best survivor she knew but it still pissed her off something fierce.

Her right hand strayed to the hilt of the machete. Her lips creased in a thin humorless smile. She felt the urge in her belly. It had been a month since her last challenge a month without the heart stopping rush of facing off against an equal opponent, a month since the hot savoring of a kill. She shook her head and stood up. And if she had anything to do with it, it would be at least another three before she had a chance to indulge again. She sighed and got up. She was exhausted and sunset would arrive in another hour. She was tired of babying Adam so she would hit the sack, get a full night's sleep and try again in the morning.

Max stripped, sponged her sweat slick skin with a sterile sponge and slipped into her sleeping bag. She was unconscious seconds after her head hit the slick nylon. She didn't dream and slept through the night until two hours after dawn. She woke slowly the sounds of the jungle treading on her dreams. Her eyes snapped open; she was momentarily confused by the tent roof. Sighing she sat up and spotted Steve sitting at a table piled with paperwork and books at the far end of the tent.

He was working steadily and seemed oblivious to her. She shrugged and slipped out of the sleeping bag. She dressed quickly not bothering to be quiet. She padded up behind him in her stocking feet and dropped a hand onto his shoulder.

"HOLY-" he cried jumping and then relaxed glaring at her.

"You are _such_ a pain in the ass." He said and sighed.

"I'm a pain the ass?" She chided. He sighed and gave her a speculative look.

"You've riled the nest chicky."

"What? Is that like your mixed metaphor way of saying that I pissed off your boss?"

"Yeah it is." He said and smiled as she leaned into him. Sex was not as much fun as the kill but it could substitute, for awhile. She lingered close enough to smell his sweat and then pulled away.

"I need food." She said over her shoulder and slipped out of the tent. Steve let a long low sigh, shook his head and returned to his notes.

* * *

Adam had hardly moved from the day before, his skin seemed pale and huge bags lurked under his eyes. Max leapt into the chamber and shouted ta-da only to trip over some of the lighting cables and crash to the floor in a bruised heap. She peered up from the shattered shreds of her dignity at Adam's laughing face.

"Ouch." She said and stood up carefully, her skin itched as the bruises healed.

"You mister Pierson are taking your skinny yet firm ass up to the light of the stinking fetid moist jungle day." She said and got a firm grip on his upper arm.

"Okay. I need to review some of my notes anyway." He said smirking at her.

She harried him into the passage and out the entrance. They walked back to the camp in companionable silence. Adam set about making a breakfast for himself and while he worked Max angled to snatch his notebook from his back pocket. Steve arrived and began chatting up Adam and making his own meal. Under the distraction of their conversation Max managed to hook the pad of paper out of Adam's pocket and slip out of the tent. She tucked it into her cargo pocket and went for a walk.

She could appreciate the beauty of the bizarre and exotic jungle particularly the ancient dance of death and rebirth being played around her. She smiled at the noises around her. The death cries and the scent of rich earth. If it wasn't so damn hot she could learn to live here. She found a small clearing and drawing her machete she began to familiarize herself with it the balance of it, the curve of the blade, the best angles to strike out at, its weaknesses and what portion was the strongest to block with.

Satisfied she began running through a few forms and exercises losing herself in the purity of mind and muscle, reaching for the imagined kill. She heard movement beyond the glade and tensed her muscles to react. Adam emerged looking displeased. She continued her workout flowing into and out of defensive and offensive stances.

"Give it back." Adam said softly. She altered her movements to bring her closer to him face to face. She dropped the machete to her side when she was close enough to feel his breath on her sweaty face. She leaned against his firm chest and stared into his eyes while fishing the notebook out of her pocket. He took it grimly.

"I didn't read it." She said softly and leaned away from him.

"Max, Max, Max, I wish you would leave this alone." She sighed and strapped the machete back into place.

"Leave what alone Adam?" She asked harshly.

"I brought you here to get you out of Seacouver, to give you a change of pace. You've been a great help but leave the translations to me."

"Robinson and Stackhof are dicks. Only Steve is worth talking to."

"You're bored all ready?"

"No I . . . I'm restless."

"You haven't killed lately." He said knowingly. Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Max you have a compulsion, one which usually works in your favor. This can be a test for you, a test of your strength. If you cannot control yourself here, where there is no one else but us, then. . ."

"Then I'm a monster. If I can't control myself and I have to . . . do things then you'll kill me?"

"No, but you'll become a target for others."

"Ah, you mean Mac."

"He is what he is Max, he may love you but he will kill you if you even threaten an innocent mortal life, let alone take one."

"You're thinking of Byron." She said softly. Adam's eyes clouded briefly.

"Think of yourself Max fuck Steve if it makes it easier but you must control yourself."

"Heh, maybe I'll meditate." She said jokingly but her heart wasn't in it. A shadow of fear settled over her heart. Adam was right; she could become a monster very easily out here if she wasn't one all ready. She left the clearing leaving Adam alone with his notebook.

Steve was still in the tent working away. She studied him speculatively, she could screw him, it would help for a while but she suspected the need would return and be harder to resist. She sighed and headed back into the heat. During her training with Macleod he had emphasized the importance of inner control and tranquility. She had paid him lip service in that regard but she had paid attention to his calming and meditation techniques. She selected a quiet spot within eyesight of the camp and sat carefully. She focused on her breathing and just her breathing keeping it even and steady.

At first it was very difficult to block out the cloying humid heat and jungle racket. But gradually the heat and noise faded, her world consisted of the steady rasp of her breathing, in and out in and out. Slowly she began focusing on the coiled violence within, she ran through her most memorable battles, the closest calls, the most satisfying deaths. With aching slowness the terrible pressure, the god-awful_ need_ began to slack off, began to fade even. She opened her eyes. Hours had passed. The camp was alive with activity, the smell of beans drifted to her. Adam was sitting in front of her.

"Did it help?" She nodded but remained silent, speculative, wondering at the change in her. Adam helped her to her feet and back to the camp. Glad that she had been distracted from the notebook and even happier that she was finally beginning to control her darker compulsions. He held the tent door open for her and watched as she settled on her cot.

Satisfied that she would be safe and sound where she was he left her lying and staring at the ceiling of the tent as though it might hold the answers to the universe. She stared and thought and felt. She traced the root of her rage, past her violent and unnecessary death, through her shaky young adulthood and into her pre-teen years. To the abuse and cruelty heaped on her by a drunken mother and heroin addicted father, well meaning once loving people twisted by their needs into monsters.

A tear crawled down her cheek, not for the abused and twisted child she had once been but for the battered souls of her parents. She felt her hate for them, the joy she'd felt at turning eighteen and finally being free of them. The cold satisfaction of knowing her father had overdosed and her mother's liver was failing the twisted glee of standing over their graves and knowing absolutely that they would never raise a hand or voice to her again. She could pity them but she wouldn't forgive them.

She blinked and shook her head. She raged yes, but it was a tool as well. She shook off the lethargy lingering from her meditation and got to her feet. She felt an urge to walk. Her feet led her down to the pyramid. She stopped and knelt at the entrance, her movements felt alien but right. She knelt for an unknown length of time muscles complaining. Finally she rose gracefully and approached the shaft she opened her mouth and spoke. The words were nonsense slippery and alien, but they felt right, her tongue and lips twisting and dancing to the strange syntax and syllables filled her with a sense of purpose. She waited allowing a sense of calm and love to fill her then she entered the shaft, on all fours and slowly crawled toward the chamber. She entered reverentially as a penitent before a priest slowly she raised her eyes and beheld the golden eyes of her god.

* * *

Adam dropped his plate and went rigid.

"Dr. Pierson?" Steve asked concerned. Adam shook himself and retrieved his plate.

"I'm okay Steve just had a thought." Adam said and smiled. He cleaned up his meal and hurried to the sleeping tent.

"Max?" He asked peering in seeing her empty cot he turned from the tent and darted back to the cook tent.

"Has anyone seen Max?" The four academics gave him perplexed looks and negative answers. He turned on his heel and sprinted toward the pyramid. Dread sinking its claws into his heart.

"Oh god Max no no no." He hissed between his teeth as he raced along.

He slid to a stop at the entrance and all but leapt into it. He paused as a bright light lit the far end but the silent generator proved it couldn't be the lighting system they had installed. He swallowed hard and moved along faster. As he entered the chamber terror wrapped its long cold fingers around his heart.

* * *

Before Max's prostrate form stood a god. She wore the visage of a beautiful Native woman her cool brown eyes gleamed with the unnatural light of the Goa'uld. She wore exotic garments richly stitched with strange foreign designs. She was speaking to Max in Goa'uld.

"Little warrior you will serve us well. I ask that you leave those you travel with, kill the old one and return to your home. There is something you must find for us."

"I will obey my god, my master, my mother."

"It is a book dear one. A man called Daniel Jackson holds it. He is in your land far from here. It will be difficult, and dangerous, he is a powerful warrior and has dangerous allies. You may have to kill him. You will know the book by its cover; it will show an image of my symbol."

"My heart yearns to kill for you holy mother."

"And you will my child, you will destroy for us. Go now before you are found go and complete your tasks."

"At once mother." The Goa'uld's form shimmered and faded but not before it locked eyes with Adam, Adam watched its features twist in surprise and rage but it was gone a heartbeat later. Max remained still for a moment and then stood robotically and began to move toward the shaft her eyes open but not seeing.

"Max!" Adam shouted and stood in front of her. She startled stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. Her eyes were unfocused and wild as she stared up at him.

"Adam? What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"Max why are you here?" He asked urgently. She looked around the chamber in confusion.

"I don't know, I was sitting and thinking, I felt like going for a walk." She said and outlined her journey to him. He pulled her close to him and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'm going to tell you a story." She shivered and leaned into him unshed tears gleaming in her eyes as she remembered the kindness and love she felt flowing from the beautiful woman.

"There was a man once. He was a decent man and loved his family; he worked hard for his people and was faithful to his gods. His wife was a beautiful woman, she had four healthy children. The gods were good to the people, they demanded only what the people could give and the people were happy to give, happy to serve their gods happy to be loved by them. '

'As the man grew wise he began to wonder at the gods they were good to the people they did not send famines, or storms, or pestilence upon the people but they did not answer the people's prayers. They did not send relief from illness, they did not send water when the rains were late, they demanded that people who were kind to one another send the god's their children and their precious stones. '

'The man came to dread the holy days when the gods would walk among them. He feared that one day the god's would see his wife's fine children and want them for their own use. So the man asked his wife and her children to stay away from the holy temple during the high holy days, to avoid the gods and hide from their priests. The wife loved her husband and obeyed his wishes. '

'The priests noticed the man's family was absent and questioned him. He . . . he was forced to tell them where the children hid with their mother. The priests seized his family. They bound him and forced him to watch the gods as they inspected his family as they chose first the two male children and sent them to the priests to be trained in the ways of the god and the two girl children were sent to the gods through the Chapa'ai. They made him watch as his wife was punished for her love of her husband, as her love was twisted into hate of the good man who defied the gods with his love for her and her children." He stopped tears streaking his face, his voice too constricted to go on.

"So the man's family was taken from him. The man was left bound for days with no water, the screams of his loved wife in his ears for company. He grew weak, his mind played tricks on him and he . . . begged, and pleaded with his wife and her offspring, trying to make them understand his fear and love for them. The children struck at him with knives and sticks deriding his supposed love, his wife appeared to him taunting him with her broken body . . . he lost his mind.'

'Finally the priests came to him; they released his bonds and brought him to the inner chamber of the temple. He lay on the cold perfect stone and prayed to die. But the gods he prayed to laughed at him. The god appeared to him, with glowing eyes and a terrible voice. He mocked the man's attempts to hide his family, his defiance of the gods, his . . . his love. Then the god put a hand to the man's head and forced a terrible destructive agony through the man's body and drove him into oblivion." He was crying openly now Max forgotten by his side. His hands absently played with her short curly hair.

"They destroyed the man, burned his fields and home, salted the land. His name was banished from the people's memories and his existence . . . erased. He became a ghost wandering near the land of his people, a demonic presence, a thief. The man drifted lost among the barren lands of his people for many, many years. '

'One day a man came to him, he called the outcast friend and offered him kindness. He taught the outcast about the god's and their cruelty. He gave them a name, he called them Goa'uld. The gods he said were men and women just like the outcast and his people, what gave them power was an evil creature within. Their magics and powers could be used by any person with the right knowledge. The gods were false and the children offered by the people were taken to far off places and used as slaves, the precious stones decorated their goods and homes. The outcast felt a rage in his heart." Max shivered against Adam's ribs.

"The man's friend began to teach the outcast and love him, the man called him master. Finally the master took the man back to his people. The temple of the gods lay in ruins, the Chapa'ai was gone and the people had fled. The master told the outcast that his people had rebelled against the gods and won, that the gods had left their world forever but that they could return. The master asked the outcast to be his guardian, to watch and protect the world, to guard against the Goa'uld and their evil lest they should return and destroy the people."

A heavy silence filled the chamber.

"The glowing mother she was Goa'uld?"

"Yes Max. I don't know if she was really here, or if she was a recording, or she may even be buried here, further deeper in the temple. I don't know but I think this Daniel Jackson can help us."

"How?"

"I don't know I don't understand how a Goa'uld could be here let alone what a modern man in our world could have to do with the them. I think we have to go home, back to Seacouver, I think she may contact you there."

"Adam?"

"Yes?"

"I love the mother."

"I know."

"She wants me to kill you."

"Yes she does."

"But you're my friend Adam; I don't want to kill you."

"You're my friend Max, I know that."

"But, Adam, I really want to."


	3. Animal Grade Tranquilizers & Road Trips

"Max is sick I need to get her back to the states." Adam snarled. He had half carried Max back to the living tent and tucked her into her cot. He had slipped her a tranquilizer and waited until it took effect.

"What? Dr. Pierson you are contracted for-"

"Dr. Robinson, I have tolerated your outrageous manners for almost a week now, my assistant, whom I consider a friend needs medical attention. I will fax you a copy of my translation at _my_ earliest convenience." Adam snarled. The tent grew silent as the two doctors faced off.

"Very well Dr. Pierson, but do not expect to receive credit when we publish our work here."

"One day _Dr._ Robinson you will realize that people, the living breathing _people_ around you are far more valuable than any byline on any article, or maybe you won't and you'll die alone and even more bitter than you now are, radio for an evac." He ordered. She tried to stare him down but her gaze dropped first.

* * *

Twelve hours later he and Max were on their way to Seacouver. Adam apparently knew a ton of people in very important places because their entire journey had been expedited from on high. Max sat shivering and staring out the window on their plane. The landscape swept by far beneath unheeded by her sightless eyes.

Adam had kept her heavily sedated. She was a killer tried and true, and she longed to bleed him. He knew the powerful pull that any kind of family relationship could have for an immortal; he also remembered the relief on Max's newly immortal face when he had informed her that all immortals without exception were foundlings. The glowing mother as she had called her had an undoubtedly powerful hold on the younger immortal. Max could not be trusted. They had to find this Daniel Jackson; he could hold the key to everything.

He picked up the satellite phone on the seat back in front of him and then replaced it. He wasn't sure who to call just yet. There were a few options. He was hoping to get Max back to Seacouver and under control first off, from there well; he would see what he could do. Although something about Daniel Jackson was ringing some very deep bells, the name was extremely familiar.

Adam checked on Max again and noted her vacant gaze. He picked up her limp wrist and counted her pulse out. He frowned she was going catatonic. He slipped her another dose of tranquilizer which seemed to have no effect. Finally the aircraft began to descend and landed roughly. He levered Max out of her seat and managed to support her as she stumbled off the plane. A wheelchair waited for them at the bottom of the steps. He spoke softly, comfortingly to her and helped her to sit comfortably. He managed to secure a rental car and drove them to one of his many personal safe houses.

Adam settled Max in the bedroom and insured all weapons were safely locked away. He called a local market and phoned in a grocery list for delivery. Finally he powered on a laptop and began a search.

He tried Daniel Jackson and got a few hundred thousand hits. Groaning he began to scan through after a few hours his head aching and eyes sore he decided to attempt to refine the search. He got up and poured some coffee and the doorbell rang. He picked up his wallet and went to the door.

Two men in military uniforms were waiting for him.

"Dr. Adam Pierson?"

Adam blinked and stepped outside closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" He asked folding his arms.

"Are you Dr. Pierson?"

"No, I'm not." Adam said coldly.

"I see." The higher ranking man said and turned to leave.

"What that's it?" Adam challenged.

"Sorry to have disturbed you Sir." Adam glared after them, every inch the deeply offended homeowner. As soon as they were out of sight he darted back into the apartment locked the door, and began packing. He normally had a bag ready to go but had not counted on using this location so soon. He cursed and threw the bare essentials into a gym bag. He ducked into the bedroom and shook Max awake.

"I need your help Max, you have to stay awake, we need to run."

She managed to stand with very little help. Adam slipped an arm around her waist and helped her walk to the front door. He ducked his head out and took a look around, it seemed clear but he didn't have time to wait and be sure. He hauled her out and down the short flight of stairs to the rental car. She slumped into the passenger's seat and managed to buckle her belt. Adam pulled out and headed for the center of town, he ran a list of safe houses through his head trying to choose one. Finally he found a fairly deserted alley and parked the car. He sat thinking Max stirred.

"Adam, she's calling me, she's so angry Adam." She whimpered.

"The glowing mother? The Goa'uld from the chamber?" She nodded and tears filled her eyes.

"She's so angry Adam, it hurts me."

"Is she talking to you? What is she saying Max?"

"South, she says we have to go south, she says Daniel Jackson is near the Chapa'ai." Adam's stomach lurched.

"Okay, south it is." Adam said he put the car in gear and headed for the highway. He would drive until they needed gas or the mother spoke again.

"Does it hurt less now Max?" She nodded and gave out a low sob.

"She still wants me to kill you Adam, she still requires it."

"Shh Max, I won't let you hurt me Max." She whimpered and pulled away from him. He reached into his coat for another syringe of sedative but came up empty. He cursed and reached for the gym bag in the back seat.

"Adam hurry!" Max begged gritting her teeth and wringing her hands. He flipped his emergency lights on and veered to the shoulder. Slamming the brakes on he grabbed the bag and pulled out a syringe, he flipped Max's left wrist over and inserted the needle; he depressed the plunger and watched her slide away into unconsciousness. He was breathing hard and felt sweat beading on his face. He sat back and turned off his emergency lights signaling he pulled back into traffic.

His heart was racing he continued south until the gas light came on. He was exhausted but didn't dare stop. He couldn't tell if he was being followed but if they were pros he wouldn't be able to. He ground his teeth and pulled off at the next exit. He found the first gas station he could and filled up. He stared around the nearby vehicles as the gas sloshed and rattled into his tank. None seemed familiar but he didn't lower his guard.

Heading back onto the highway he floored it risking a speeding ticket but not caring he couldn't stand the feeling of being watched any longer. He raced along at ninety and hoped he wasn't caught. The road was almost deserted which didn't surprise him since it was past three A.M. Finally as he approached the Oregon/Washington border he eased off the gas and dropped to the legal limit.

He drove until he was a few miles from the California border. Eyes heavy and dry he admitted defeat and pulled over at a rest stop. Max was still asleep but he gave her a dose to insure she wouldn't wake while he rested. Tilting his seat back he forced himself to relax and drifted off.

Adam sat up with a jerk. Somewhere someone's car alarm system was going off. He groaned and struggled to sit up. Max was still unconscious, mercifully. He put the car in gear and pulled out. After another three hours on the road Max woke.

"She says to go east." She murmured sleepily. Adam drove on following Max's occasional directions and sedating her when she began to fear her own actions. Eventually they reached Colorado.

"Where to Max?" Adam asked her. They were parked in a Jack in the Box parking lot eating burgers. She stared at him with a strange expression for a moment.

"She said he is close, the rest is up to me."

"Max, what is it?" She glared at him with a weird rictus grin on her face.

"Nothing." She hissed and leaned toward him.

He nailed her with a right hook and caught her falling body. He glanced around the parking lot but no one was reacting. He carefully lowered her into the back seat and threw away the remnants of their lunch. Their options were rapidly becoming impossible. Adam made sure Max was secure and wouldn't hurt herself and locked the door. He walked into the restaurant.

"Excuse me, do you have a phonebook?"

"Uhm sure." The sixteen year old at the counter said, he dug around in the back and returned to the counter with a tattered out of date phonebook.

Adam took it and stood to one side of the register and began paging through. If his luck had finally turned he would be very, very lucky and find a Daniel Jackson in the white pages, if he wasn't or the book was too old the ridiculous circus of their journey would continue. He reached the Js and began scanning the list. He absentmindedly flexed his right hand as he searched. There were four D Jacksons but no Daniels. Adam sighed but committed the names to memory anyway.

"Thanks." He said and handed the book back to the young cashier.

"Uh, sorry but can you tell me the next large city around here?"

"Uh, Colorado Springs probably. But it's not huge or anything."

"Thanks."

Adam climbed back into the little rented sedan and typed Colorado Springs into the GPS unit on the dash. A list of directions and a map with a blinking cursor popped up on the screen. He glanced at Max but she was still dead to the world. He did some mental gymnastics and figured they could be in Colorado Springs in an hour if he pushed it. He pulled a syringe out of the glove box and doped Max. He decided to keep her under for as long as he could. That last time she had turned on him in seconds.

Adam headed for the road as he neared Colorado Springs he called information on his cell.

"City please?"

"Colorado Springs, residential."

"Name?"

"Daniel Jackson."

"I have one Daniel Jackson. Would you like me to connect you?"

"Uh no thank you can I just have the number?"

"555-7430."

"Thank you." Adam said struggling to hide the glee in his voice. He hung up and put more pressure on the gas. He got control of himself and slowed down to match traffic. Outside the city he pulled over at a rest stop and dosed Max again. He picked up his cell phone and went for a walk.

He flipped the phone open and dialed the number he'd been given.

"Hello?"

"Please don't hang up."

"Who is this?"

"Just promise me you won't hang up for the next thirty seconds."

"What? No, look pal-"

"I need your help_please_ just listen, I . . . does the name Goa'uld mean anything to you?"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Adam Pierson –"

"Where are you?"

"Uh I don't know hang on." Adam lowered the phone and jogged back to the car. He peered in at the GPS.

"I can give you my GPS coordinates."

"I can't meet you myself but I'll get someone to you."

"No just you. I can't I can't trust anyone else. I . . . look my friend has to be kept sedated, she . . . she's going to try to kill you."

"Mr. Pierson I can't get to you before an hour, can you wait that long?"

"Yeah, yeah I can but _please_ hurry." Adam said and snapped the phone shut. He hopped in the car and drove across the street. As hiding places went it wasn't great but it might give him an edge. He got out and climbed into the back seat, he laid Max's head in his lap and rested his fingertips on her throat measuring her pulse.

An enormous weight lifted off him knowing that Jackson was coming. He knew it was stupid to pin so much hope on one mortal man, a complete stranger at that. Still if Jackson couldn't help Max then Adam would have to kill her. No one controlled by a Goa'uld could be allowed to survive. Slowly Adam drifted off and began to dream.

He sat up startled as a fist crashed against the passenger's door. Adam opened it up and crawled out.

"Pierson?"

"Jackson?" The man nodded. He was six foot, dark blonde, handsome with piercing intelligent eyes. Adam sighed and nodded.

"What is going on? How do you know about the Goa'uld?"

"Look I would love to hang out and chat but see my friend in there? She's being controlled by a Goa'uld, this Goa'uld has programmed her to kill me and gain a book you have. In about forty-five seconds she's going to wake up and probably go into a homicidal rage and try to remove my head. You can let me dose her and get us out of here or we can play twenty questions."

Jackson's eyes narrowed but he nodded and gestured at the car. Adam snatched open the front door and grabbed his last syringe from the glove box. He primed it and opened Max's door.

Max leapt up and booted him squarely in the face with both feet. Adam gasped and fell backwards the syringe hit the ground and skittered under a neighboring car. Max did a handspring and emerged from the car. Landing on her feet she stared around at Jackson. She bared her teeth and lunged at Adam. Adam rolled dodging her reaching hands and kicked her in the gut. She doubled over and hit the concrete. Adam reached for the syringe but it was gone. Scrabbling away from Max he got to his feet at the same time she did. She laughed hysterically and charged Adam. He blocked her and tried to get a grip on her throat; she slithered around his grip and sank her teeth into his throat. He gargled in shock and began beating her face and trying to force her away. Jackson appeared behind her, syringe in hand he jammed it into her jugular and depressed the plunger, her jaw released and she crumpled to the sidewalk.

Adam clapped a hand to his throat and felt the hot spurt of blood against his palm. He was going to bleed out. He fell to the ground and peered up at Jackson. Jackson was leaning over him a worried look on his face. Adam smiled through the blood flooding his throat. He heard rapid footsteps and saw more faces; there were shouted commands and movement outside his range of view. His vision began to gray out he felt hands on his, pressure being applied to his throat, and then nothing.

"What the hell just happened?" Jack O'Neil demanded. He was bristling with annoyance. The parking lot looked like a slaughterhouse, there was an unconscious woman lying in a pool of blood with a hunk of meat hanging out of her jaws and a syringe sticking out of her throat and some guy bleeding out of a massive wound in his throat.

"Daniel I thought you said this guy needed your help?"

"_He_ called me Jack, started babbling about the Goa'uld, he said his friend was being controlled by one, said she was being compelled to kill him and get a book I had, that's all he said."

"Great, is he going to live?" Jack called to the technicians working on the bleeding man. By way of answer they stopped working. The man's skin was almost white with blood loss, the hideous wet sucking noises from his throat wound had ceased.

"Nice. Load them up guys. Daniel you're with me."

The techs obeyed loading both inert bodies into an unmarked van. Another group emerged from the van and began cleaning up the parking lot, O'Neil and Jackson climbed into the van.

They zoomed off at a legal speed and disappeared into traffic. The woman was built like an extreme athlete or a soldier. Jack watched as the techs secured her arms and legs to the gurney and checked her vitals.

"Dr. Jackson how much of the substance was she given?" One of the techs questioned.

"The whole syringe, it was as full as it could be."

"I don't mean to doubt you sir but are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure, she was a madwoman, and she _bit out_ Pierson's throat. I gave her the whole damn syringe."

"I don't doubt you sir, it's just that with this much sedative she should be dead." Jack and Daniel exchanged identical 'oh boy' looks.

"I was supposed to be off tomorrow." Jack said mournfully.

"What's up with him?" Jack asked gesturing at Adam.

"Blood loss sir, other than I couldn't say." Max moaned and started to come around.

"Airman you better prep a syringe of something and fill the damn thing." Jack ordered. The technician complied and slipped the tip of the needle into Max's arm ready to administer as needed. Max stirred and opened her eyes. She coughed and stared around.

"Hey what's up? Why did you kill your friend?" Jack asked. Her bloodshot eyes glared around, she spotted Adam and bared her teeth.

"She demands he die!" She growled and tugged at her restraints.

"Hey wakey wakey, you tore his throat out, he's dead relax."

"Fools he hasn't died, not for real, not yet!" She yelled hauling at her restraints, the nylon holding her right wrist started to give way and Jack nodded at the tech he pressed the plunger. She settled down but didn't go under.

"You don't know what he is." She mumbled drunkenly.

"Uh Sir that should have put down a water buffalo with 'roid rage." The tech said.

"Knock her out. I don't want her getting frisky till we have her caged." Jack ordered. The tech complied without complaint refilling the syringe and administering a second dose she finally slipped away.

"Okay, Daniel what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know Jack." Daniel said irritation tinging his voice.

"Daniel, this guy called you out of the blue, asked if you knew anything about the Goa'uld and then gave you some story?"

"Yeah Jack he did."

"I want these two locked up and under guard as soon as we hit the mountain." Jack grumbled.

"Sir this one's dead."

"Not according to her he isn't." Jack pointed out.

Finally they arrived at Cheyenne Mountain. Max's unconscious body was hauled to a holding cell. They didn't bother drugging her settling for a locked cell instead. Adam's still cold body was treated the same. Both cells contained closed circuit security monitors.

"Colonel what have you brought into the mountain?" General Hammond asked.

"Well sir, as Daniel said this Adam character called him up. We met at the rendezvous and his 'friend' went berserk and tore his throat out, only according to her rantings he isn't actually dead."

"Sir you may want to look at this." One of the technicians from the gate room interrupted.

O'Neil, Jackson, the General, Major Carter, and Teal'c filed into the gate room. The technician had Max's cell camera displayed on her monitor. Max was up and angry. She was battering her cell door and screaming at the camera.

"Do we have audio on this feed?"

"Not from this location sir, one of the security rooms will though."

The group jogged headed out of the room and down the hall. They burst into the security room for that level and brought her camera up on the main monitor.

"You unworthy fools! The glowing mother commands me! She _loves_ me, she will destroy you all!" She began laughing and pounding the cell door again.

"Sir she's going to severely injure herself if we don't do something."

"Major she bit out the throat of a man who claimed to be her friend; I am not willing to send any of my people in there at the moment. If she batters herself unconscious so be it." Carter frowned but didn't object.

"General Hammond, the dead man is awake." Teal'c said solemnly. He gestured at the portion of a second monitor displaying Adam's room.

"Major, Dr. Jackson see what our guest has to say, I'll have Dr. Frasier meet you at his cell." The two officers nodded.

"Dr. Jackson see if you can figure out what book this Goa'uld wants, Sam please accompany Dr. Jackson." Teal'c inclined his head and followed Jackson out.

Adam woke up slowly his throat hurt. He felt for the wound with his right hand, relieved to find the skin whole and untouched, throat wounds on immortals could heal strangely. He sat up slowly surprised to see he was in a cell and not a morgue. The room was the same pale gray, furnished with a steel table in the center and two chairs. He threw the thin army surplus green wool blanket off his chest and stood up very slowly. He was desperately thirsty.

"Hello?" He called to the silent room.

"Hello? I'm awake now, I'm very thirsty." He called loudly but in an unthreatening manner. After ten minutes passed without a response he sat down at the desk and waited patiently. There was little else he could do.

Finally a pair of eyes appeared at the double thickness wire reinforced window on his door. He heard the lock being opened and the door opened. Three people stood in the doorway.

"Hello." He said softly smiling at their wary expressions. He recognized Jackson from the rest stop but the two women with him were intriguing. One was a tall strong looking blonde with short hair, she moved like a professional. The second was a shorter red head with a lab coat.

"I'm fine Doctor, really." Adam said and smiled again. He knew he had an intriguing and disarming smile and used it to full effect.

"I would like to take your word for it Mr. Pierson but I'm required to do a medical clearance on everyone in the facility."

"Of course." Adam said. Jackson and the blonde watched without comment as Dr. Frasier drew blood and checked him over.

"I'd like to do a more thorough evaluation at some point but for now he's cleared." She said to Jackson and his companion. Adam sighed and regarded the blonde woman.

"Who are you?" Jackson asked.

"Dr. Daniel Pierson, linguistics. My friend and I were working on a dig in Central America. She somehow came under the influence of a Goa'uld, the Goa'uld looked like a woman and claimed Max as her daughter, she ordered Max to kill me and steal a book in Mr. Jackson's possession."

"It's Doctor actually, uh archeology. Where in Central America?"

"I'm not sure, the dig was very sensitive and security was tight." Adam lied.

"Why aren't you dead?" The blonde asked cutting to the chase.

"I . . .well that's a long story."

"We don't have any plans." She said.

"I'm different; I heal almost any injury, including most fatal ones."

"Most?"

"Well, I've never been decapitated or dismembered."

"I see."

"Okay Dr. Pierson we're going to need you to level with us."

"I've told you everything I know."

"Well, no, no you haven't. How do you know about the Goa'uld?"

"I'm a linguist, I was asked to the dig to decipher some writing they had found. The writing spoke of a race that masqueraded as gods, the Goa'uld. They came to earth thousands of years ago and enslaved the people until the people rose against them and disabled the Chapa'ai. It described the Goa'uld as speaking with voices of thunder and having eyes like lightning- that's a rough translation. Max meditated one evening and then sleepwalked into the chamber with the writing. When I found her she was speaking to a person with a weirdly deep and harsh voice with glowing eyes. She demanded that Max kill me and then seek out Daniel Jackson in America and take a book he owned. She said it would have her mark on its cover. Incidentally Dr. Jackson do you have any idea how common your name is?"

"Would you be willing to allow Dr. Frasier to give you a more extensive examination?" The blonde asked.

"Why?"

"Your ability could be of huge benefit to mankind."

"No offense but I am not thrilled at the idea of being a guinea pig for an unknown military organization that is familiar with beings like the Goa'uld, particularly given my 'condition'." She frowned and stepped back.

"Before you go, can I have some water? I'm extremely thirsty."

"You lost almost all the blood in your body." She said impassively.

"Look I'm sorry if I piss you off, but I'm just a guy okay? I'm sorry I don't want to get poked and prodded for the benefit of 'mankind', put yourself in my shoes would you be willing?" She remained silent.

"Can I see Max?" He asked suddenly.

"Uhm, she tore your throat out with her _teeth_." Jackson pointed out.

"She isn't herself. Look, she's my friend would you do less?"

"At the moment she's hell bent on dismantling her cell. If she calms down we'll let you know." The blonde said.

"Can you help us? Because if you can't I'll have to kill her."

"Pardon?"

"She's like me, it's the reason you had to use so much sedative so frequently. She's building up an immunity. Can I have some water now?" He asked switching subjects. Jackson nodded.

"Sam?" She shrugged and left carefully bolting the door behind her.

"Dr. Jackson, your name is familiar."

"I haven't been publicly involved in-"

"The pyramid guy." Adam said the light bulb finally coming on.

"Yeah, okay I'm the pyramid guy."

"You were right." Adam sad admiringly.

"Well, yes but –"

"Screw the rest of them, you were right." Adam said. Jackson shrugged.

"How did you manage to translate Goa'uld?" Jackson asked. Adam launched into a long and complex explanation only interrupted when Sam returned with a tray complete with a pitcher of water and a full plate of hot food. He eagerly sucked down the pitcher and started in on the food. Jackson and Sam left while he ate.

"Colonel what's your verdict."

"Pierson is still hiding something, but it's pretty clear his friend is a total wacko."

"Major, Doctor Jackson can anything be done for her?"

"I don't know General. I'm guessing that whatever was done to her happened when she meditated. We need to go to the site of the dig, see if we can trace what happened, maybe find the Goa'uld there." Jackson said.

"I agree General. I also think we should take Dr. Pierson with us."

"Well what about his friend?"

"We'll have to sedate her. She's going to tear herself to pieces."

"Okay Colonel I want you to take SG-1 and scout this site, SG-11 will be on standby as back up. Take Dr. Pierson but I want him tagged with a locator."

"Excellent Sir, consider us on the way, provided of course Dr. Pierson will stop stonewalling us and give us the location of the dig."

"I don't think that will be a problem Jack, he genuinely wants to help his friend and if that means going back to the dig then he'll probably do it." Jackson argued.

"Try it, Major see if you can dig up anything about a Central American dig just in case Pierson decides to be uncooperative."

"Where is the dig?" Jackson asked coming into Adam's cell.

"Take me with you."

"We were planning on it."

"Good then I'll show you where it is as we go."

"That's not acceptable."

"It's the only way."

"You don't trust us."

"No oddly enough I don't. Don't take it personally I don't trust a lot of people, well anyone really. Okay that's not true either, I trust two people, used to be three but one of them got mind-fucked by an alien and now wants to kill me more than anything. So I'm sorry if I'm a little tiny bit paranoid about giving out information to people I barely know, and oh by the way the only reason I even know you exist is because that same alien knows about you which is a tad unusual considering its been sealed away for a few thousand years."

"He makes some good points Daniel." A new man entered the cell. He was in his late forties, probably prematurely gray. His face was creased with experience but he also had prominent laugh lines. His eyes were grave.

"You are?" Adam challenged tired of not knowing anything.

"Colonel Jack O'Neil United States Air Force." Adam nodded.

"I will take you to the dig Colonel, but I control the flow of information. Max is in deep shit and I'm willing to do what it takes to help her but I have limits."

"Fair enough. Feel like traveling?"


	4. Jungle Boogie and Disturbing Honesty

O'Neill led the evac from the chopper raising his weapon and scanning the tree line as the rest of his team and Pierson disembarked and took up similar positions.

"The camp should be about two hundred feet directly in front of us; the pyramid is about a half mile beyond that!" Adam shouted over the sound of the choppers. O'Neil nodded and directed the team forward. Teal'c took point, they swept down the hill keeping Adam, as far as they were concerned unarmed behind them. As they caught site of the camp it became clear that something was very wrong.

The tents were collapsed and shredded broken equipment and food packages littered the area, everything was bleached and weather beaten. Adam felt his stomach lurch in dread what had happened? He felt a moment of regret for not evacuating everyone when he had taken Max out, but it was only a moment, he felt badly for them but he cared more about Max.

"Pierson was it like this when you left?"

"No, it was business as usual, I just convinced Dr. Robinson to call a chopper so I could get Max out of here, the last I saw of them they were heading out to the pyramid."

"Did you have to sedate Max to get her out of here?"

"No, she was okay at first, she could control the urge, but after awhile, it wore her down." Adam's voice was tainted with sorrow.

"Okay kids let's keep moving." Jack said and led the way toward the pyramid. Adam continued in the rear he hated the jungle as much as Max did but he felt more at home in it than he did other climates. He glided along behind the trained team and waited with taught muscles. He most definitely did not want to see that glowing goddess again. Finally after an eternity of creeping stealth they reached the entrance. There was no sign of the expedition. The generator sat silent and primed, two full cans of fuel stacked next to it.

"Pierson?"

"I don't know Colonel it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If they were attacked by locals none of this gear would be left, they would've sold it or used it themselves, at least until the fuel ran out."

Sam bent over the generator and fiddled with it briefly.

"Colonel O'Neil, this area bears little resemblance to any Goa'uld construct I have previously come into contact with."

"Yeah I can see that Teal'c Daniel thoughts?"

"Uh well it's possible that the Goa'uld came across the pyramid and took advantage of it, they are parasites."

"Care to chime in Pierson?"

"Not much to say Colonel, you're guys are the experts."

"Fine, Major any worries?"

"No Colonel our satellite scans and passive flyovers didn't pick up anything unusual. I'll get this running again and we can head in." As soon as she finished speaking the engine caught.

"Okay let's go." Jack said Sam took the lead.

"It's a long nasty walk." Adam advised. To Adam's surprise the four team members didn't even break into labored breathing during the trip. As they emerged into the chamber Adam unconsciously tensed dreading whatever waited. An image of the goddess's angry face flashed back to him. He shuddered involuntarily.

"You okay Pierson?" Jack asked, Adam felt a wave of surprise, Jack had two people between the two of them and he had picked up on Adam's reaction.

"When I was here last the Goa'uld saw me, she wasn't happy that I'd overheard her talking to Max."

"Okay, and you're just now telling us this? Fine, Sam be ready for hostiles." Jack cautioned.

She acknowledged him with a nod and slipped into the chamber, Jackson and Teal'c followed after. Adam watched Jack hop down and steeling his resolve leapt after. He landed easily and looked around him. The lights were still working but what they revealed was obscene.

The four archaeologists were dead, Adam focused on that first. They were sitting in a row, prostrate arms extended in an attitude of worship. They faced the wall where the writing had been carved. Their corpses were desiccated, preserved by the jungle heat and the hot air in the chamber their expressions forever frozen in a tableau of manic joy.

"Sir, I think they starved." Sam said after examining the corpses briefly.

"Starved?" Adam asked horror in his voice.

"She kept them there, worshiping her, loving her for so long that they died." Sam said her voice echoing Adam's sense of disgust.

"I have seen acts of evil but this . . . its beyond evil, they didn't even try to leave, they just sat there and died." Adam snapped angrily.

"Daniel you got anything?" Jack asked dragging their attention away from the terrible sight.

"How did you decipher this?" Daniel asked Adam his voice was admirably steady.

"I transcribed the Egyptian, when the translation didn't make any sense I tried again until it occurred to me that the Egyptian could be used to inscribe a third language."

"Dr. Pierson that's . . . astonishing, no one else in the world could have done that. How many languages do you speak?"

"Do you want the dead ones, or the modern ones?"

"Total."

"Oh two hundred give or take." Adam smirked at their expressions.

"Okay well given that then yeah that would be a reasonable deduction." Daniel said recovering his grace.

"Sorry to rain on the parade guys but can we get back to the rampaging Goa'uld who has my friend's sanity hostage?"

"Stay cool Pierson we'll get her back for you." Adam ground his teeth in frustration. If he knew what they did he wouldn't be waiting around he'd be getting results. Irritated he shoved past the armed experts and into the chamber itself.

"HEY SHE BITCH!" He yelled, his voice ricocheting.

"I'M BACK! MAX DIDN'T KILL ME, YOU HEAR ME? YOU EVIL VICIOUS BITCH!" Jack rolled his eyes and clamped a hand on Adam's mouth.

"Do you mind? My hearing isn't that great as it is." He grunted. Adam shook his hand off and booted a light stand.

"She isn't here." He said emptily.

"We don't know that Pierson, have a _little_ faith." Jack said.

"Fine let's keep looking." Adam snapped.

They did so scouring the chamber for evidence of the Goa'uld present, past, or future. Finally after a few hours even Carter admitted defeat.

"Sir we need more equipment, deep penetrating radar for one thing. I don't think there's much more we can do here with what we have."

"What about her mark?" Adam asked. He got confused looks.

"Her _mark_, she told Max that the book Daniel had would have her mark on it that would be how Max could tell which book to take. _What_ is her mark?"

"That is an actual good question Pierson. Daniel?" Jack admitted.

"It's hard to say Jack. We don't even know what Goa'uld this was let alone what her 'mark' might be."

"What about the wall doesn't that tell you something?" Adam demanded.

"Yeah it says whoever wrote that probably read Egyptian but spoke Goa'uld which doesn't make any sense either."

"I didn't make a full translation, I never finished the inscription. We can finish it faster together."

"Sure yeah of course why don't you read it to me and I'll copy it down." Jackson suggested. Privately he thought the lean, intense academic was crazy, but then again when he had come back from the dead he hadn't been exactly sane either.

"_The People in the land were good and loyal to their gods._" Adam began Jackson faithfully transcribed it. Adam kept reading and Daniel faithfully copied Adam's words for a half an hour before they came across anything helpful.

"_The goddess walked among the People and they were filled with joy. She was splendid to behold and gentle in nature. She wore around her divine throat the sign of a mighty cat. And such a beast strode at her heel_- That's it that's the sign!"

"I don't have any books like that." Daniel said.

"What about the SGC Daniel, she may not be able to distinguish between you and the SGC, we don't' know where she's getting her information or how good it is. One of the artifacts one of the other teams brought back might have a large cat, although I don't remember anything like that." Sam said.

"Okay kids back to the SGC, we'll have SG-11 and the eggheads go over this place with a fine toothed comb." Jack ordered and gestured for Teal'c to take point.

"Colonel wait, we should get the rest of this inscription while we can. It may be invaluable later." Daniel interjected.

"Okay here's how it goes. Daniel, you and Pierson keep working, Sam you and Teal'c head up, contact the choppers, maybe take a look at the camp I'll stay here with our boys, radio contact every ten minutes." Teal'c inclined his regal head in acknowledgement. Adam returned to reciting the inscription while Daniel transcribed. He also took photos before they left. Two hours later they met the chopper and headed back to civilization.

* * *

Adam fumed, he had traveled thousands of miles, risked Max's life and his own and these people acted like he was making them work too hard, he'd given up secrets that he had held sacred for literal millennia, to the_ military_ no less. He cursed his foolishness. He glared balefully at the jungle as it swept beneath them.

"Adam relax if anyone can help Max its us. Believe me Jack takes the idea of friendship very seriously." Daniel said.

"Indeed Adam Pierson, Colonel O'Neil is a man of honor. He will help you."

"Thanks I'm just. . . okay I've told you and your people some things that could get me killed, things I've never told anyone, it's a little nerve wracking to do that and then hit a stone wall."

"If we don't find anything SG-11 and the science guys will." Jack added. Sam studied Adam speculatively. He shifted under her gaze and met her eyes with his own, he held her gaze until she looked away. He made a point of reminding her of his humanity whenever she looked at him like that, like a cut of beef or a juicy new discovery.

* * *

"Adam it's been like fourteen hours, _go to bed_." Jack ordered. Adam glared at him

"My friend is tearing herself to pieces in that cell Jack, what would you advise?" Adam said wearily. He was scanning through the area 51 inventory and a listing of research material at the SGC; the SGC list was more arduous because it was just a list of titles not pictures or descriptions.

"REST jerk, look you aren't dong anyone any good here, you're irritating me and making Daniel crazy. So, GO TO BED. Or I'll have some SFs drag your narrow ass down to the infirmary and have Doc Frasier dope you."

"Fine." Adam growled and headed for his cell. He refused to move to different quarters. His cell was next to Max's and although he could hear her all day and all night destroying herself until her body was so battered it shut down and stopped healing, which then forced really brave volunteers to go in, dope her, and put her on an I.V. he wouldn't move. It had been a month since their return to the SGC.

* * *

"Jack the point is it could work." Jackson said.

"Have you run this by Adam?" Jack asked.

"No he's too sleep deprived or pissed off most of the time to listen."

"Well ask him. Get his answer, get back to me." Daniel nodded and headed for Adam's cell.

Adam's weird insistence on staying near Max was stupid in Daniel's opinion, he sympathized with wanting to support a friend in pain but all it had earned Adam was sleep deprivation, nightmares, and guilt. Daniel peered in and watched Adam pace. Adam's eyes were sunken and his skin pale, he never went out and he almost never slept, his all ready lean frame had shrunk further.

Daniel knocked loudly and entered.

"I have an idea." He said cutting off any wrathful outbursts from the gaunt man.

"Okay." Adam said suspiciously.

"We need to fake kill you."

"What?"

"Look her first objective was to kill you right?" Adam nodded.

"Okay well we can't find this book, but if we kill you then theoretically she's going to start looking for it, so we convince her that you're dead and see what happens."

"It's a long shot but why not, how do you want to go about it?"

"What will convince her you're dead?"

"Decapitation."

"Okay so we set up a camera and fake a decapitation."

"Yeah, that sounds so, uh, not simple. Does Jack know about this?" Adam asked concern creeping into his voice.

"Yes he knows so does the General, its up to you Adam but I'm stumped otherwise, it could take us months to search the SGC, and even then we may never find it."

"Yeah okay let's do it." Adam watched Daniel leave, the screams and thumps rattling from the next room an elephant in the room during the conversation.

* * *

"He'll go for it." Daniel said.

"Good."

"Jack?"

"Yes Daniel?"

"We have to get him out of that room."

"Yeah well short of shooting him I don't see it happening too soon, but yeah, I agree. Tell you what talk to Syler about the fake decapitation; keep Adam busy, I'll have his gear moved and the cell lock changed."

"Thanks Jack." Jack waved a dismissive hand and returned to reading a comic book with Teal'c.

* * *

"Okay we're going to stage it so the security cameras can catch it. It's going to be an industrial accident." Adam arched an eyebrow.

"A tragic misstep with a forklift while loading _really_ heavy pallets. Look, we're betting on her lack of sanity affecting her reasoning."

Adam shrugged.

"Reasonable assumption, but fair warning Max in her right mind is no mental slouch." Adam cautioned.

"I think it's safe to say that she isn't right, right now." Jack said and frowned over his word order.

"Dr Frasier has been unable to sedate her for several days now." Teal'c added. Adam sighed.

"Yeah I get it she's a violent irrational nut case." He said bitterly and got into his position for the 'dress rehearsal'. They ran through the sequence a dozen times until Jack and TSgt Syler were satisfied Adam would not be seriously threatened.

Adam grimaced and shook himself ready to 'act' the part. He was actually quite a good actor but having to act on the spot with rehearsals and all threw him off. He thought of Max raging in her cell and focused.

He stood in front of a huge stack of pallets loaded with solid steel components bound off world. The forklift idled behind him blue smoke filling the loading dock. He ground his teeth and stepped into his role.

He began shouting orders at the unseen driver and waving his arms helpfully. To his horror a completely different forklift powered up and started toward him. He began waving his arms and shouting louder gesturing for them both to stop. The second forklift bore down on him homicidally. He yelled a string of deeply shocking curses that were in languages no one nearby spoke, including Daniel and tried to dodge the forklift, which was when the first forklift started forward. As the two forklifts converged on him he shrieked and vanished from sight. The engines died and Jack, Teal'c and Daniel sprinted toward Adam.

Adam staggered upright, one leg seriously broken; he glared at the SG-1 members as they skidded to a halt in front of him. He twisted the leg into place earning winces of sympathy from Jack and Daniel. Adam then launched himself at Jack and managed to land two healthy blows, winding the Colonel and dropping him to a knee before Teal'c and Daniel pulled him off.

"You son of a bitch!" Adam snarled struggling against the Jaffa and Daniel. He managed to get one hand loose and swing at Jack again. Jack scowled and slugged Adam hard enough to rattle him.

"Relax! You're fine! It was the only way to make it look real." Jack snapped. Slowly Adam relaxed; he shook the two men off him and spat at Jack's feet. He muttered an Egyptian curse and stomped off.

"What did he call me?" Jack asked Daniel.

"Uh, well, since you don't have any camels I wouldn't really worry about it." Daniel said patting the Colonel on the shoulder.

"Sir, I'll have the effects polished on this in a couple hours." Syler said holding up the security video. Jack nodded and watched Adam limp toward the exit; by the time he reached it he was walking soundly his compound fracture non-existent.

"I don't care how often I see that, it's still creepy." Jack said.

"Yeah but so is Junior." Daniel pointed out referring to Teal'c's larval Goa'uld.

"Dr. Pierson to the conference room!" The P.A. requested.

Adam sighed and rolled out of bed. He had finally managed to drift off and of course he was needed. He yawned and reached for a fresh set of coveralls. Changing he ran a hand through his short hair and checked his breath. Satisfied he slipped his boots on and headed out.

"We've finished the tape." Daniel said eagerly.

Adam shrugged and sat down expectantly. Teal'c hit play on an ancient dusty VCR. The tape spun up flickered and then steadied. It showed the debacle of the forklifts and then zoomed in on 'Adam's' mangled body, complete with obviously separated head. It was eerily accurate and Adam felt a cold sweat coat his spine.

"That should do well, how do you expect to get her to watch it?" Adam asked relieved when the tape flickered and went black.

"We'll put this setup outside the window of her cell and loop the tape."

"The theory is eventually she'll see the whole tape and realize what it means." Sam concluded.

"Okay, let's get it down there." Adam said and stood. Teal'c took charge of the rig and began dragging it toward the elevators; Daniel moved to help while Adam scurried ahead and claimed the elevators. The few personnel still active took a look at the crazed newcomer puppy guarding the elevators and opted for the stairs. Adam couldn't help fidgeting as the elevator hummed along, creeping toward the cells on the lower level. Once the doors opened Adam was first out clearing the hall and dragging the stand. They set it up in front of her door and hit play.

Adam peered into the window and banged on it. Teal'c grunted and snatched Adam out of the way and pushed the television closer. Adam glared at him for a split second and then grinned. If Max had spotted him banging on the door the jig would have been very much up. They wait for an hour listening to the security tape flicker, run through the footage, flicker, run through the footage ad nauseam.

Finally midway into the third hour the frantic noises from the cell stopped. Adam reached for the rig but Daniel waved him away and gestured for him to be silent. He pulled the rig far enough away from the door to allow him to see into the window. Max was curled in the far corner unmoving. Daniel pulled a sidearm and opened the door Teal'c stood guard in the doorway. Daniel held his weapon ready but kept the safety on.

"Max?" He called she remained still. He put his free hand on her shoulder and she remained calm, he felt her pulse and found it strong and steady, he shook her gently then harder finally she stirred and looked up at him blearily.

"Who are you?" She asked calmly sitting up.

"I'm Daniel Jackson, welcome back."

"Where have I been?"

Adam peered in at her and grinned she smiled back.

"Nowhere important kid." Adam said his voice overflowing with joy and relief.

She stood slowly she was confused by how weak she seemed but she waved away Daniel. Her clothes were tattered and bloody. The room reeked of blood and other fluids. She grimaced and limped to the door. Adam hugged her and then scooped her up.

"Your quarters have been moved to the upper level with the normal living quarters Adam Pierson." Teal'c said helpfully. Adam for once remained silent and followed the Jaffa. Daniel watched them go and shook his head. He hit the intercom.

"Did you get that?"

"Yeah Daniel we got it, the General is a happy man."

Daniel released the intercom button and evacuated the cell, carefully closing the door behind him. Max would need to see Dr. Frasier as soon as Adam would let her go. Daniel took the elevator and headed up to Adam's. Teal'c was standing in the doorway with Adam; Daniel could hear water running in the shower.

"She'll need to be medically cleared." Daniel said. Adam nodded.

* * *

After what felt like a lifetime Daniel met Max again for the first time. She was dressed in a set of Adam's borrowed insignia and patch free uniforms. Because of Adam's weight loss the uniforms fit Max no worse than they did him, although the pants were too long. She was bare foot as well but otherwise she looked amazing. Her short hair had grown long enough to be an asset rather than a personality trait. Her ordeal had left her with reduced muscle mask giving her an ethereal look. Her eyes were large and liquid and her skin pale and flawless.

"Miss Holloway you will need to clear medical." She nodded not objecting.

Inside Max was terrified her memories of the past two months were twisted and broken. She remembered the pyramid and speaking with Adam but the nightmare road trip and her time in the cell consisted of broken images and half remembered moments of rage and fear, fear of failing the Mother and rage toward Adam for not succumbing to her. But even the rage had faded in time. She still felt the presence of the mother like a lead weight around her neck.

"Adam? She's still here." She murmured.

"We know." He said in a tone loud enough to insure Daniel and Teal'c could hear. He did not want men with guns who knew their secret to think the two immortals were plotting against the SGC. Dr. Frasier gave them a brief look of confusion as they entered and then smiled warmly when she realized that the clean delicate woman in front of her with no shoes was the murderous lunatic from the basement.

"Hello Max, I'm Dr. Janet Frasier, you can call me Janet, it's nice to see you in the flesh." She began her exam with very little extraneous small talk.

"Adam?"

"What's up?" He asked.

"How did we get here?"

"Do you remember what the mother told you to do?"

"I had to kill you and then find Daniel Jackson and get his book."

"Well we tricked the mother Max, we found Daniel and then we made you believe that I was dead."

"You're Daniel Jackson?" She asked the lean blonde man. He nodded.

"Oh, I might have to kill you." She said calmly. He looked stunned, her huge liquid green eyes blinked calmly at him.

"Only if you don't give me the book though." She qualified weirdly.

The group watched her in the same manner childless friends of those with children regard that same child when it behaves like a demon in supermarket, embarrassed horror and shock. Adam helped her onto the examining table and exchanged looks with the SGC personnel. This clearly would not do.

Adam felt his skin crawl and wondered how far gone Max still was. He watched her eyes and wondered at the killer urge she had struggled with in the jungle. Did it still linger under the surface of her mind, still thrust and roil? He hoped her recent lack of control had gone a long way toward releasing it. But with the evil Goa'uld influencing her, who could say?

Adam watched as Janet performed a battery of standard tests and added another selection of more esoteric tests onto the order. He would argue normally since anything they learned from her could theoretically be used against him. Or he could let them run all the tests they wanted while he stole an access code and password and planted a digital time bomb aimed at scrubbing all medical, personnel, and mission files related to Max and himself. So he did that instead and hoped their scans and tests could find a way to free Max and destroy the invading Goa'uld.

"Okay so why this book?" Adam asked.

"I mean most Goa'uld use stone or metal tablets or some sort of digital medium, but a book? That's just really odd."

"You know, you're right. It may not be a Goa'uld at all." Daniel agreed.

"How so?"

"Okay no offense but you've never actually had contact with a real live definite Goa'uld. It's possible that something is masquerading _as_ a Goa'uld, it would help explain why the writing in the chamber was in Egyptian but the translation was Goa'uld, and why the being demanded your life and a book."

"Well, if it isn't a Goa'uld what is it?" Adam asked.

"She is the golden mother. She has always been and will always be." Max said sweetly. Adam shuddered involuntarily, Max, his Max, was anything but sweet, she was cruel, sarcastic, ironic, acerbic, loyal, and murderous, but she was _not_ sweet.

"What's the verdict Doc?" Jack asked entering the room.

"Well, so far mild dehydration and malnutrition."

"Ah, well that's not so bad, had that a few times myself." Jack said dismissively.

"Keep us updated huh doc?" He said and gathered up his team by eye. Adam remained with Max. He watched them go and turned his gaze back to Dr. Frasier's scans and readouts. He had trained as a doctor several times in his many lifetimes and followed the information easily.

"Dr. Frasier this may seem strange but, her blood gases, aren't the readings a little bit off?"

"Yes they are, Dr. Pierson, do you have medical training?"

"I have had in the past, but I'm not exactly current."

"Well nothing wrong with that you can certainly give me a hand." He assisted Janet with her tools and notes, carefully making subtle but deliberate mistakes to maintain an amateur air. He also scrutinized the results and her observations. Finally when Max was too tired to continue Adam helped her settle into a bed in the infirmary for observation.

"Dr. Pierson, I understand that your physiology is very different from normal. But I can't help her unless I know what is abnormal for her; would you be willing to allow me to examine you?"

Adam let out a low soft breath and looked hard at her. He had his backdoor access which would allow him to erase anything they found, or even better, copy it and then erase it.

"Fine." He said softly. He tried to relax his clenched fists, Dr. Frasier's small skilled hands folded over his right fist, her cool soft fingers calming him. He let out a shuddering sigh and closed his eyes.

"This goes against everything I know." He whispered.

"I'll be quick and as gentle as I can." He gave low bark of harsh laughter.

"I'm not afraid of pain or discomfort Doctor, I'm afraid of other people knowing, about me, about the existence of people like me." He looked up at her, his resolve hardening.

"The faster we get going the sooner you'll know what's wrong, so let's go."


	5. Ultimatums and Revelations

After more than a half day's worth of painful, invasive and probing examinations and tests. Adam was beyond exhaustion, his temper was frayed and he felt more hopeless than ever. Every one of his tests, when not completely perplexing was completely normal, and none seemed to vary from Max's in any significant way. Full of exhaustion and frustration Adam sat on an exam table, wearing scrubs and studying his own x-rays.

"I'm sorry Dr. Pierson, its going to take some time to review the data we've accumulated, until then-"

"Fine, I'll be in my quarters." Adam said sharply and moved to the door.

"Dr. Pierson –"

"Adam, just call me Adam, there's not a whole lot you don't know about me now, so you may as well call me by my first name." His voice was hostile and succinct. Janet nodded and watched him leave.

* * *

Adam took an extremely long shower, not bothering to scrub, allowing the super heated water to redden his skin and flow over him unheeded. He wondered vaguely what day it was. Eventually Macleod would realize he and Max had not returned after the four month sabbatical, and no doubt in typical suicidal death before dishonor fashion he would come charging after his friends and disaster would no doubt follow. Still that was a problem for another day. He threw his roughly used scrubs into the trash and slipped into loose fitting pants and a t-shirt. Collapsing into bed he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Max paced her room. It didn't look like the cell she had been in but it was still a cell. She could feel the locks, the cameras, the suspicions swirling around her like poisonous vapors. They were unworthy, soon the golden mother would wrap her in her arms and destroy her enemies, but only if she obeyed. She needed the book, and Adam needed to die. Her hands itched feverishly at the thought of destroying her one time mentor. She smiled coldly.

In one part of her mind she knew that Adam was her friend, she knew he had taken terrible risks, revealed closely held secrets and struggled to save her. She knew that he was family. In the other part of her mind, the acting part, she knew that the mother demanded his death; she knew the mother was holy and righteous and not to be denied anything. She knew in her core that she was required to annihilate Adam. So she paced and plotted and felt confidence in her ability to punish the unworthy.

"Sir, I don't like it."

"Noted Colonel."

"General, she is still a threat the only difference is that now she isn't tearing her cell apart." Daniel pointed out.

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Let her loose."

"No, no way Daniel-"

"Jack, we need to find out what book she is looking for and why, do you have another suggestion?"

"Why not let her go through the Area 51 listing?"

"Well, among other things, we don't know what everything in the listing does she may pass information about some of the items on to her 'golden mother'." Daniel said.

"What about this golden mother any luck there?"

"No, it's too obscure; there are dozens of references to the mother in different earth religions. She is usually a powerful fertility force, one of the earliest deities. I haven't found anything specifically referring to a golden mother. We need more information."

"What about the tests on Dr. Pierson?"

"Inconclusive. All we know is that both of them have inhuman immune systems, and show no signs of aging, additionally their blood gasses, EKG, and EEG readings are abnormal but within normal tolerances with each other." Major Carter sighed.

"I want her shackled, manacled, and chained around the throat, I want armed SFs with weapons drawn on her at all times. I want every corridor sealed around her in case she gets loose, do not forget that this woman tore her friend's throat out with her teeth people." General Hammond said solemnly.

"Great." Jack sighed.

Adam woke violently; he sat up and listened hard. His senses were alert, something had woken him, a sound, a smell, a feeling, something. He pulled his blankets away and opened his door. He heard the sound of approaching boots. They were marching, the only people who marched on base were the Marines of SG-11 who were still at the pyramid, and the SFs. He stepped in to the hall and leaned against the wall.

Two uniformed security forces appeared at the end of the hall. Behind them was Max, shackled and bound in chains, behind her was another group of guards. Adam froze, indecision could be deadly but he was bound by it, Max was unharmed, but the chains bode ill for her.

As she approached she recognized him. He watched a subtle rippled of tension flow through her, the guards behind her had weapons trained on her. Any more would be suicidal, temporarily suicidal but death was death. But he didn't think she was in a reasoning mood. She smiled at him, a smile devoid of warmth or humanity. He tensed to repel her, a split second before she moved.

Two shots rang out and ricocheted down the hall. Fire doors slammed down behind and in front of the group. Max struck the men in front of her hard enough to wind them and drop them to the ground. She lunged in her chains and managed to get enough room to end up on the ground, she slammed her right hand on the ground with enough force to pulverize her thumb, she slipped the manacles off and got to her feet. She flexed her hand, the bones audibly popping and snapping as they settled and healed. She lashed out at the guards behind her as they fired again. One bullet struck her in the chest, the other high in the shoulder. She grunted at the impacts and rendered the men unconscious.

Adam remained still ready to defend himself. She turned to him grinning inhumanly. Her hands were mostly free the left slowed by the manacles she flexed her fingers eagerly. She shuffled toward him, the shackles hampering her. Adam sighed.

"I'm going to end you now." She said coldly.

"No, you're going to try now." Adam corrected. He slithered past her defenses and broke her neck before she could react. He dropped her limp body and picked up one of the fallen men's radios.

"She's down, you can open up." He dropped the radio and checked the security forces guys. They were alive, satisfied he turned to Max, she was still dead. He put a foot on her throat to pin her until help arrived. The doors on either end of the hall opened, O'Neill hurried in with the rest of SG-1.

"They're alive." Adam said.

"Good, Max is dead?" Jack asked Adam nodded. Jack barely suppressed a shudder and gestured for more SFs to take Max in hand. They hauled her lifeless body off to a cell.

"Pierson what the hell is going on?"

"You tell me, I woke up and she was heading down the hall, she attacked your guys and tried to kill me, again. I thought we'd taken care of that minor detail."

"Apparently not, Daniel?"

"Yes Jack."

"We need answers, sooner rather than later."

"Jack I don't have enough information okay?"

"Adam? Care to volunteer anything new?"

"Like what? I've told you everything that I know about this."

"Gah, fine lock that lunatic up, I'm going to have a talk with the General." Jack grumbled.

Adam followed, Jack gave him an irritated look but remained silent. Adam glowered.

"Jack, you can't kill her here."

"Why not Pierson? You said yourself decapitation or dismemberment will do the trick."

"Okay fine you can kill her here but only if you don't mind bringing Mt. Cheyenne down on everyone's heads. Look Jack, this is holy ground, immortals can not be killed on holy ground not without some pretty serious repercussions." Jack ignored him.

"You ever hear of Mt. Vesuvius huh Jack? Pompeii? That eruption was set off by two idiots fighting each other on holy ground. I'm telling you do not do this."

"I'm not going to kill her Pierson, not yet."

"Why?"

"Don't get me wrong, I've killed people before, and not always the guys with the black hats, you ever hear of black ops? I will kill her if I have to and its becoming a more viable option every minute but _not_ until I have to. Clear?" Adam nodded slowly.

* * *

The General agreed with O'Neill.

"She is too great a threat to remain here; we've reached a dead end. Unless either of you can come up with more information or a real plan I am ordering she be put into a medically induced coma until we have some answers. You have twenty-four hours." Jack nodded.

* * *

"It's unfeasible Daniel. Look when I got to you I was giving her a full syringe of large animal tranquilizers. A full syringe Daniel, she develops immunity to everything after awhile. A medical coma will not last for more than a few months, even after changing her dosages and the drugs used."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Yes, we find this golden mother and kill the bitch."

"Adam we've killed Goa'uld before it can be done but it is _never_ easy and never clean. We will find her Adam but we need to know more."

"What about SG-11?"

"The pyramid is empty. No sign of goa'uld technology, no chambers other than the main one."

"So that's it? With all your experience, and technology, and guns, and stuff, all you come up with is useless? Look me in the eye Danny, and tell me you would give up at this point if it were Jack, or Carter, or Teal'c or even the General going through this instead of Max and I."

"Adam-"

"No, I've had enough, we're leaving."

"Don't be stupid Adam, you can't."

"Try to stop me." Adam challenged and left. He didn't stop by his room. He was all ready wearing street clothes. He had money and even a new sword waiting for him outside the mountain. He headed for the main exit hoping Daniel hadn't been savvy enough to get out the warning immediately. He swiped his visitor's I.D. at the security checkpoint hoping that it hadn't been red flagged.

The light turned green on the turnstile and he was waved through. He moved causally, submerging the urge to sprint. Once outside the main entrance he ducked into the visitor's center and called a cab from the pay phone.

Getting in he noticed the SFs at the gate reacting.

"There's an extra $500 if you get to the airport in ten minutes." Adam growled. The cabbie took off like a bat out of hell. Adam hoped the guards hadn't had time to write down the plate or company. He tried to relax.

Deep in his gullet a small piece of technology powered on and began sending a signal. It was a tracking device inserted during one of his many exams. It was sending his updated location to a satellite which was quadruple encrypted. The signal was deciphered and downloaded into the SGC database. Wherever Adam fled he would be tracked until he figured out he was tagged and took countermeasures.

Adam leaned into the cheap plastic seat and sighed. He would find answers, he would defeat this bitch. Max was lost to him but he would see the golden mother dead at his feet, he would keep his word and protect his home. The Tau'ri would not kneel to the Goa'uld ever again.

* * *

"For cripes sake, how long has he been gone?"

"Five minutes tops sir."

"Fine get on to him he's got a tracker." Jack sighed and scrubbed his face. The SF took off at a trot. This was very bad, Adam knew things that would send the general public screaming to the hills with serious heebie jeebies, plus he was a master at hiding. The one advantage they had was his ignorance of the tracker but that wouldn't last.

"Colonel I want you and SG-1 to take care of this, you know him best."

"At once sir."

"Uh Jack, it seems likely he'll go back to the dig." Daniel said.

"Where he'll meet SG-11 and the egg heads, I think SG-11 can handle him."

"Jack you didn't see him fight Max, he has reflexes like a cat, I mean he can probably take Teal'c without much trouble, sorry big guy." Teal'c inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"Then we had better get there first sir." Carter said. Jack nodded.

They landed far enough from the dig that their choppers wouldn't be noticed. SG-11 had not been warned to expect them. Jack didn't want their day to day behavior to change, it might tip Pierson off. They hiked in before dawn, maintaining radio silence.

They crept into the camp hoping to find Pierson somewhere near the perimeter, finally they made contact with SG-11.

"O'Neill, what'd they send you golden boys down here for? Need a little field experience?" The Marine Major grinned a pearly white grin at Jack.

"Not exactly Major, have you or your team seen anyone else out here?"

"Huh, no not unless you're talking about macaws and insects sir."

"We may have a potential hostile –" Jack went on to describe Adam.

"You can shoot him if you have to, but try to avoid it."

"What?"

"Just keep your guard up Major."

"Okay campers let's go check on the pyramid and the egg heads."

When they got to the pyramid the scientists were unconscious. They were laid out in the shade perfectly safe. Jack groaned.

"Major could you and your men meet us at the pyramid?"

"On the way sir."

"How do trained Marines let something like this happen?" Daniel asked.

"You said it yourself, Adam is not a normal threat." Carter said.

Adam watched SG-1 from the shadowed jungle. He had a good idea how to find the golden mother, the scientists had the key all along. He briefly debated revealing himself to the team but he didn't need them to finish the job, and he could get them killed.

He faded into the jungle, but not fast enough, someone caught his movement and then unforgivably, he tripped. He bit back the curses that sprang to his lips and tried to run, the jungle around him was shredded by bullets; he was riddled and dropped to the ground, a pulped mass of red Swiss cheese.

"Jesus, over kill much?" Jack grunted.

"He was hostile sir."

"Pull him out of there." Two Marines grabbed Adam by the legs and dragged him into the clearing in front of the pyramid.

"Teal'c, Danny, guard him."

"Guard him? Colonel he's-"

"Major, a chopper will be arriving within the hour I expect you and your men to be aboard it."

"Yes sir." The Major growled. Jack watched them leave, feeling very annoyed. Carter checked on the scientists again.

"How long is this going to take?" Jack asked.

"Hard to say Jack, when he had his throat ripped out it took a few hours-" Adam's gasp interrupted Daniel, who jumped and looked deeply spooked. Adam laid gasping like a landed fish for a few moments and gathering his thoughts.

"Hey what the hell are you doing?" Jack asked leaning into Adam's line of sight. Adam rolled onto his side and coughed up a blob of half congealed blood.

"Ow." He said and rolled back onto his back.

"Seriously Pierson, what'd we do wrong?"

"You can't help me help her, you wanted to give up." Adam groaned and managed to sit up.

"Sir-"

"Relax Carter, he'll heal. You are a world class moron. Having no leads does not mean we are going to give up you idiot."

"Whatever, are you going to keep yelling at me? Or can I get up and tell you what you're scientists dug up?"


	6. Meet the Goddess

The colonel regarded Adam sourly. If the man were under his command he would be in corrective custody chained and locked away. But he wasn't, he was a nominal civilian who was way older than him and could kill with freakish ease. Jack scrubbed his face and adjusted the carry strap on his weapon.

"Fine." He conceded and Teal'c helped the bloodied man to his feet.

"I so wish I'd never met you right now." Jack sighed and sized up Adam. He was a mess, his clothing, what was left of it was crimson and shredded. His flesh was whole but smeared with his own blood. His eyes were dark, colorless and fevered.

"So what gives?"

"She's not a Goa'uld."

"What?"

"Look you guys said it yourselves, why write in ancient Egyptian but speak Goa'uld? Why not just write in Goa'uld? And why here?"

"Pierson, we're running very, very low on patience." Jack pointed out.

"Okay, let me help you, other than the Goa'uld, what species do you know about that could have been around to interact with the Goa'uld but could still be around now?"

"Immortals." Carter hazarded. Daniel's eyes lit up.

"Of course, that would explain the language use as well as the book, I think."

"I was not the only immortal who had contact with the Goa'uld, obviously. I didn't know what they were but what if Ra left a trusted servant behind? Someone with unique gifts, someone to lie in wait and study the treacherous Tau'ri on his behalf?"

"This is nuts, if there had been such a person we would know about it." Jack grunted.

"Really? Are you sure about that?"

"Jack it might be possible."

"But why here? There's never been any evidence of Goa'uld in this region of the world."

"This person, this woman was a handmaiden to a god, its not inconceivable that she might have established herself as a god in her own right. Immortals travel, you can only stay in one location for so long before someone gets on to you or you die in a raid or an accident, or an act of god. So we move from town to town land to land. It would have taken her hundreds perhaps thousands of years but eventually somehow she made it to the Americas."

"Okay if we buy that it still doesn't explain how you came to that conclusion." Daniel pointed out.

"Your guys began excavating near the base of the pyramid, the jungle covered the lower levels protecting them from erosion, they uncovered some carvings, traditional and era appropriate for this region and architecture. They depicted a bloody female deity armed with an edged weapon who controlled lightning. An immortal."

"Where?" Daniel demanded. Adam limped to the site of the scientist's excavation and began deciphering the pictographs.

"They built a mighty city here but in the process they used up all the natural resources in the area. The workers began to starve, they died out or fled leaving her alone." Adam explained gesturing at the bloody art work. Daniel read through it himself and nodded in agreement.

"That still doesn't explain what happened to your friend." Carter said bursting their bubble.

"That I'm not so clear on. I've never heard of an immortal with the ability to do such a thing. However, it is possible that it was some kind of booby trap designed to trap an immortal."

"How so?"

"We have . . . unique . . . energy signatures, its possible that whatever projected that light show for Max was engineered to respond only to that signature."

"But, you spent more time in the chamber than Max, and she was only effected after her second or third time." Daniel argued.

"I think it may have been cumulative, she also spent time meditating, it may have left her in a more susceptible state." Adam was so not sharing that he had the ability to dampen his own immortal presence, it helped him to avoid combat with other hostile immortals. Max, being far younger had not achieved that level of power or skill yet.

"Look, this makes far more sense than some random sneaky Goa'uld hiding out in south America thousands of years ago for no apparent reason."

"So what now?"

"I have to find her and kill her."

"Not so fast, even if this is just an immortal she knows about Daniel, and the Goa'uld, she knows about the SGC and she wants that damned book for something." Jack sighed.

"I agree but the safest course of action will be to eliminate her."

"I don't think so, she could have invaluable information."

"She's dangerous."

"Okay tell you what we'll go home talk to the general get some sleep –"

"No colonel it doesn't work that way. This bitch attacked me and mine, I owe her."

"Pierson, I don't know what you and your freaky friends get up to but this is our operation and we're going to do it our way. You'll get your chance for revenge but until then there are bigger things at stake."

"Like what?"

"You aren't cleared to know." Jack growled. The two men were nearly toe to toe, eye to eye.

"O'Neill." Teal'c said solemnly, Jack broke his gaze and glanced at the Jaffa, they could hear choppers approaching. Adam didn't sense the big man move until the butt of Teal'c's weapon crashed into the base of his skull.

"Boy this guy is a pain in the ass." Jack griped. Teal'c slung him over one shoulder and the team began trekking to the choppers. Adam came to just after the choppers gained cruising height.

"Look Pierson we trust you have your friend's best interests at heart but just knock it off okay? Stop fighting us." Jack groused.

"Sorry colonel but I don't trust people I know an immortal is responsible for this and only an immortal can stop her. That means me. All your guns and men are pointless, immortals duel to the death one on one, no guns, no outside help."

"Really?"

"Well, mostly, if you break the rules you make yourself a target." Adam didn't bother to elaborate. He had in fact broken the rules, several times, for the greater good which usually meant saving his own butt, but it was not done lightly. Xavier St. Cloud and Jacob Kells had, eventually learned that lesson.

* * *

Once they returned to the mountain Adam was sequestered away and politely guarded. SG-1 cleaned up and prepared for the debrief. Two hours after arrival they trooped into the briefing room.

"Colonel what's the situation."

"He thinks an immortal is behind it."

"An immortal?"

"That's what his . . . species . . . calls itself." Daniel said, resorting to species for lack of a better term. Whether or not Max and Adam were other than human was still undecided.

"How?"

"Well, Sir, he theorizes that the immortal set some kind of trap rigged to respond to the unique energy signature immortals give off."

"Is that feasible?"

"Its hard to say Sir, if she did then she could have removed the equipment before we arrived. We would have no way of knowing."

"So you're saying that there is a hostile non-goa'uld out there who knows about the goa'uld and Dr. Jackson."

"Yes sir, unfortunately."

"Do we know anything about this hostile?"

"No sir, not really." Jack said.

"Well that's not exactly true general, we know for better or worse that this person has an interest in me and this book, we know that she can be killed by decapitation and we know that Adam has it in for her."

"Options?"

"Let Adam go after her, he has a better shot at capturing her than we do." Carter suggested.

"Can you be sure that you can prevent him from killing her? We need to interrogate this being she seems to know more than she should."

"We can always shoot him sir." Jack said.

"Why do you not simply request that Adam Pierson refrain from killing her prior to interrogation?" Teal'c asked.

"Well there is that." Daniel agreed.

"Okay colonel I'll leave the details to you, but I want to know what that woman wants and I want Adam Pierson and his friend out of the SGC as soon as possible."

"Very good Sir." Jack said standing as the General left.

* * *

Adam was patiently picking his door lock with a bed spring when Jack breezed in forcing the lean man to jump backwards.

"Whatchyadoin?" Jack asked mildly studying the immortal, bed spring in hand. Jack looked at the scratched doorknob.

"Neat." He said and pulled a chair out of its place near the table and sat backwards on it, resting his forearms on the back. Slowly Adam relaxed. He tossed the bed spring onto the torn mattress it came from and sat down across from Jack.

"Here's the deal. We will let you chase this chick down, you can even fight her if you want but, we have to interrogate her before you kill her."

"What?"

"Look Daniel and Carter both think that you can find her faster and with a lot less fuss than if they went digging through books and scanning things. So, we do it your way except you have to let us talk to her."

"If I find her and subdue her you can talk to her but only if I can listen in."

"No deal."

"Fine hope you have a few hundred years to waste then." Jack looked dourly at him.

"Jack there are hundreds probably thousands of us all over the world, we hide, its what we do, we wander the world posing as mortals and doing our damndest to keep our heads attached. That means we are very, very, very hard to find when we do not wish to be."

"Look, Adam we can find her if we want to, thanks to everything you've told us it might take awhile but we will find her. In the meantime you and Max are going to be stuck here under lock and key because you know too much and can't be trusted not to cause a scene or kill the hostile."

"You're a military man, I thought your whole purpose was to kill hostiles."

"Sure but sometimes that has to wait. I understand you're pissed as hell, can't say I wouldn't be in your shoes but the fact is we need to see what if any information this person has, that means interacting in a less than fatal way."

"Fine but you and your team need to give me enough space to operate. You stay here and do whatever it is you do most of the time and I'll look up a few contacts and see what I can dig up. You do not follow me, if I think you are I'll vanish."

"I'll run it by the general." Jack said mollified. The next morning they released Adam.

"What will you do with Max?"

"She won't be hurt; we'll keep a close eye on her and try to find that damned book she's been looking for." Adam nodded.

* * *

Forty-five minutes after leaving the SGC's main gates Adam's blip ceased transmitting. The screen went blank.

"He figured it out." Daniel grunted leaning over Walter's shoulder and studying the blank screen.

Adam changed clothes and I.D. an hour and a half after his tag stopped transmitting. He had manipulated the energy of his own quickening to fry the implant it had hurt, severely but he was free of the SGC's oversight.

He called Joe mentally tallying how long he had been out contact.

"Hey Joe."

"Adam where you been? You're a good two months late, Mac's been burning up the wires looking for you two."

"Uh, yeah we're fine. Look Joe I need any information on immortals with contacts in south American with no first death information, specifically any females."

"Adam, you know I'm not an immortal phone book, I can't just give out information like that-"

"It's about Max Joe." Adam's tone was tightly controlled but his worry leaked out.

"Okay I'll do what I can."

Joe called back with another contact number and thus the chase began. He spent weeks crisscrossing the globe, threatening, bribing, and gathering intelligence. Finally she came to him.

He was in London waiting for a phone call in a seedy room. It was stained from generations of tobacco smoke; the bedding was threadbare and stained. He sat at a rickety table that overlooked a narrow alley; in the alley a drug dealer was plying his trade. He felt her as he sat and his body tensed unconsciously.

He reached for his sword and stood up, shrugging his coat off he faced the door. It opened slowly and revealed a small woman with copper skin and doll like features. She smiled revealing tiny dagger like teeth, her eyes were liquid obsidian. In one hand she held a short stabbing spear fashioned from chert, it glowed dully in the cheap lighting, its brown chipped surface glittering.

"I am Akna." She said her voice was sweet and soft. Adam smiled and drew his own three foot broadsword; the Ivanhoe's surface gleamed coldly.

"You face me with a stone blade." He said.

"I would know your name stranger before I take your power."

"Release my friend and I will not take your head."

She smiled and held the spear before her horizontally. She spoke softly in a language unfamiliar to Adam, the next thing he knew he was outside the window above the filthy alley and falling to the ground. Lighting lanced out of the window impacting his body with enough voltage to fry a herd of cows. He channeled his own quickening, desperately shunting the brunt of the energy out of his body and along the surface of his own energy field. Still, what got through hurt, a lot. He screamed and hit the ground. The loud crack and thud of his body hitting the pavement heralded broken limbs. He moaned and struggled to move before the 'goddess' came for him. Slowly he got to his knees. His Ivanhoe was gone. He shook his head and managed to get to his feet. The drug dealer was long gone.

Akna appeared at the mouth of the alley. Adam tucked into a crouch and forcing his singed and broken body into a sprint he charged her. When he was close enough to touch her she hit him with another blast. It flung him like a rag doll to the opposite end of the alley; he struck the brick façade and felt more bones break on impact. He slid to the base of the wall like a boneless sack of pudding. He struggled to face Akna and managed to raise his gaze to take in the mouth of the alley. She stood stoic and still the spear at her side. Adam decided he was probably going to die. He pondered briefly reflecting on his over long life but decided to get to his feet instead. 

He made it to all fours before Akna reached him.

"Will you tell me your name now warrior?" she cooed gripping his hair in one fist and forcing it back, exposing his throat.

"I am Methos." He whispered and spat in her face. She pressed the edge of the spear to his throat drawing blood. Adam/Methos closed his eyes and smiled grimly through broken teeth. He would die defiant.

A burst of automatic gunfire echoed in the tight space Methos's eyes fluttered open. The pressure from the spear was gone. Akna laid on the ground her chest a mass of raw gore. Teal'c and O'Neil stood over her. Daniel was retrieving her spear.

"Adam?" Carter asked leaning into his line of sight.

"Hey Major, good timing." He whispered and passed out.

Jack gave a low whistle. The alley was destroyed. Akna was down for the count and Adam looked like a poorly prepared chicken fried steak. They gathered up the immortals carefully insuring Akna was actually dead. They hauled ass to Mildenhall Air Base and into a secure hangar. Akna was secured to the best of their capabilities including a pressure sensitive auto-injector loaded with enough concentrated cyanide to take down a battalion of Jaffa. If she got frisky it was all over with. Adam was put into a makeshift infirmary. He was given I.Vs and wrapped in cool damp cloths to ease his burns. Within an hour he was conscious.

"Sir, Pierson is awake." The med tech informed the colonel as they watched Akna for signs of consciousness.

Adam looked none the worse for wear, even his hair had recovered from the burns. He did look weary though.

"How you feel?" Jack asked cautiously."

"Not good, is she dead yet?"

"Well she's still dead but her head is still attached so-"

"Haven't you interrogated her yet?"

"Pierson, she literally blew your socks off, it took two MP5s at close quarters to put her down. You wanna go wake her up be my guest." Adam got to his feet shakily and stared down the colonel.

"Her head is mine Colonel; she is a bigger threat to me and my family than she ever will be to yours."

"I wouldn't bet on that." Jack said but let the immortal go.

* * *

Adam slugged Akna viciously. Her eyes snapped open.

"Colonel-!" The med techs objected as Jack entered the area.

"Akna, tell me why I should not take your head." Methos demanded.

"I want what you want Death, I want to live, I want to survive, this game wearies me. There are few on this planet who can stand before the might of a goddess."

"What do you want with Max? Why send her after Jackson?"

"You are not worthy." She hissed. Adam hauled off and nailed her again. The blow snapped her head back savagely. Her skull rattled off the steel plating of her support, she bared her teeth and glared at Adam lightning began crawling over her skin. Adam backhanded her savagely drawing blood but the lightning ceased.

"You are _not_ a god here. You are an immortal like me, like Max, like hundreds of others. You've just outlived your usefulness. Tell these people what they want to know or I'll make your death a slow lasting hell." Adam snarled millimeters from the goddess's eyes.

"I know you. Your legend reached even my ears. The people who once prayed to me now read about you and your brethren in their precious tome of lies. You are a foul footnote to my glory, I will reign again." She hissed Adam raised his hand to hit her again.

"We've heard that before lady. Few times actually. Course most of the people who said that are well, dead now." Jack said helpfully. Adam lowered his hand.

"Here's how this is going to work lady, you give us what we ask for and we all live happily ever after."

"Liar." She snapped.

"Well, yeah maybe, a little." The colonel admitted with a shrug.

"You say you've read about me, heard my legend, then believe me when I say it will be great pleasure to hurt you and take your life." Adam said balefully. She smiled frostily.

With almost no warning a sphere of malevolent blue light lanced out from her chest and nailed Adam, it knocked him of his feet and gave him a painful and briefly fatal shock. Adam sat up with a pained gasp.

"This is not working." Jack observed.

"Yeah." Adam agreed and accepted the soldier's help up.

"Can all of you do that?"

Adam winced and shook his head.

"No, I've never heard of it before." Adam said rotating his shoulders.

"Try again?"

"May as well, I'd advise keeping your people clear though, I don't think this will be the only time she zots me."

"Zots?" Jack asked. Adam shrugged.

"Got a better name?"

Jack grinned. Adam sighed and returned to Akna's corner. Twenty minutes later he was on his back again. He picked himself up slowly and returned. The sound of blows rang out and shouts more low toned arguing and insults and more blows before Adam was once again 'zotted' into death. He woke up and saw Sam leaning over him.

"Are you okay?"

"This isn't working. Whatever you want to know, she won't tell me."

"You know we record all these interrogation sessions." She said helping him to his feet. He grunted.

"What does she mean you're in the bible?"

"I'm old."

"No way are you the first man." He arched an eyebrow at her.

"We did genetic tests. You're sterile and you're DNA is only 99.95 human." He shrugged again careful to hide the pain common to immortals, the shared sorrow at their inability to procreate. The ancient had had over sixty wives and hundreds of children, always fathered by another and while he had loved each as long as he had them there was a hollow in his soul, a paternal longing for his own offspring. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes Carter frowned wondering if she had upset the immortal.

"Look why don't you and your people give it a go?" He suggested. He headed back to the infirmary and curled up on the cot for a rest. He slept lightly and fitfully not dreaming but waking frequently.

Finally he woke feeling as tired as when he had laid down. He sat up. An MRE was lying on a tray next to the cot. He regarded the O. D. Green package. It was labeled teriyaki beef. He slipped the package into the cargo pocket on his pants and stood up. Teal'c was patiently waiting for him. 

"The prisoner wishes to speak with you Adam Pierson."

"Have you made any progress?"

"Some." O'Neil was also waiting for him.

"Okay so you're called Methos, you were one of the horsemen of the apocalypse specifically death and the goddess Akna a mother fertility type person wants to talk to you." Jack said. Adam blinked slowly but didn't react otherwise.

"Seriously she wants to see you." Adam nodded and entered Akna's area. Jack and the rest of the team followed.

"Ahhhhh Methos." She cooed, in spite of the beating he had given her, she appeared fully healed and flawless. He unconsciously tensed for another lightning impact.

"I will tell your friends what they wish to know. But I require a toll." He waited not rising to her bait.

"Bring my child to me I wish to look upon her face before I spill my secrets and you take my life."

"Why? Why do you want to see Max?"

"She belongs to me. If you kill me she will still long to fulfill my directives she will belong to me forever."

"Colonel, can you bring her here?"

"Let's have a little chat Adam, Methos whatever your name is." Jack grumbled. Adam scowled.

"I'm not moving this character and unless you can guarantee Max won't make a fuss we are not bringing her here either."

"Colonel if you tell her she's being brought to the golden mother she'll damn near fly to get here."

"Fair enough." Jack made the call. While they waited Adam did his damndest to get Akna to talk. She smiled and killed him repeatedly.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Adam roared sitting up. He frog hopped to his feet and slugged the goddess hard enough to break her neck. Rubbing his fist he stomped over to the mess area.

"Kill you again huh?" Carter asked. He sighed and sat down heavily.

"You know, you might try a little more finesse. Wailing the crap out of an immortal while it may be fun, strikes me as ultimately pointless." Daniel added.

"She thinks she's a goddess Daniel, gods don't bleed, every time I knock her teeth in she gets to taste what not being a god tastes like."

"Yes but she's still immortal."

"She's at least as old as I am, and if her life has been anything like mine she's been through this before probably several times. There are no tricks, or tactics or threats that will work except to threaten the one thing she values her life."

"Okay so what will change by bringing Max in?"

"You tell me, you're the ones who want information from the bloody bitch. I just want to kill her. She's obviously dangerous, or is it normal for you lot to allow megalomaniac gods with the ability to control lightning to live?"

"Uh well you don't have clearance for the full answer." Jack said. Adam groaned and scrubbed his face.

"I am so regretting going to that bloody pyramid." Adam muttered.

Jack's radio crackled to life.

"Sir the team from the SGC has arrived."

"Acknowledged." Jack replied and stood up.

"Sounds like the cavalry has arrived kids, lets see if Akna will be a little more talkative after a little worship." Adam grunted and followed after the team.

Max was glowing, she looked like a kid on Christmas, a five foot five cold blooded killer on Christmas. He frowned at her and studied her carefully. As far as he knew the immortal was still hardwired to kill him. She shoved past the security and various SGC personnel.

"Where is the Mother?" She demanded.

He motioned toward Akna's secure area. Max sprinted past the group and into Akna's area. Akna smiled serenely at Max. The SGC personnel hurried after Max.

"Mother I tried –"

"Shh I know you have daughter. They are deceitful and evil creatures-"

"Oh fuck off Akna, no one even talks like that anymore. Max, this is horseshit you know that. You are far too smart for this bull shit. You have a family, you have me, and Mac and Richie, you have Joe. You don't need this lying bitch to coddle you."

Max's eyes flickered at him they were unreadable, blank.

"Max you were murdered and left like a heap of refuse, you were tough enough and smart enough to crawl out of that park, get back to your feet and destroy the animal that took your life, all without knowing your true nature. In a few months of brutal training you pushed yourself to become a warrior equal to any immortal twice your age, are you really willing to throw that away? To deny your own nature in slavery to this pathetic creature? Look at her Max! She thinks she's a damn god; I have lived long enough to know that if there is a god he or she doesn't give a damn about us. She doesn't love you Max, you're a tool no more and no less."

Max shuddered and went rigid for a moment; finally slowly she turned to the mother. She raised her hands to the mother's bonds and began loosening them. Jack began to raise his weapon. Adam shook his head and gestured for the SGC personnel to back off. Jack thought about it for a moment and then nodded and silently ordered them back. Adam gestured for an SF to hand over his weapon, he did and Adam removed the bayonet from the weapon. The bayonet was shaped more like a hunting knife than the older styles.

He palmed the blade and watched Max closely. Max tenderly released Akna's bonds. The Mayan smiled joyfully at her 'daughter' but there was a sense of cold cruelty in her eyes.

"Mother I loved you, I did and I tried to kill my friend, but I didn't try that hard. I . . . knew somehow that you were a liar, but I do love you Mother. Love is a precious and potent thing Mother and I want to keep loving you but . . . you don't love me Mother." Max said softly staring into the shorter woman's eyes. Akna's smile twisted into a grimace of hatred.

"Then die apostate child!" Akna hissed and placed her hands on to Max's chest and brought her power to bear.

Max writhed and twisted away from the contact, as she broke contact Adam hurled the bayonet at her, she snagged it out of the air and drove it into Akna's throat. Lightning filled the corner of the hanger driving back the SGC personnel and Adam. The two women were locked in combat; Max's right fist was locked onto the handle of the bayonet as Akna struggled to force Max to break her grip. Lightning roiled around and through the two figures. Max slowly brought her free hand up and wrapped it around the handle as well. Her whole body tensed with effort Akna gave a strangled blood choked cry as Max dragged the blade out one side of her neck. Abruptly the lightning storm ceased Max and dead Akna dropped to the ground. Max got to her knees and freed the blade from Akna's mostly severed neck. About a quarter of the thickness of Akna's neck remained intact.

"No!" Jack shouted but Max gripped Akna's head, braced her legs and back and pulled with all her strength, tears and blood coated her face as the head came away. The lightning storm returned with a sudden viciousness. It ripped Max off the ground and hurled her into the air. She voiced a wordless scream as all of Akna's great power pummeled and battered her body before sinking into her flesh and settling. She drifted to the ground limp and still.

"Damn." Jack said softly. Adam got to his feet before the others in the cowering crowd and staggered to Max's side. She was breathing easily.

"So much for interrogation." Jack grumbled.

"What now?" Daniel asked giving Carter a hand up.

"Phwew, clean up and head back to the SGC I guess."

"What of Max Holloway and Adam Pierson?" Teal'c asked.

"They come with us." But no one approached the immortals. Adam held Max half in his lap in an unconscious imitation of Mary cradling Jesus only Max was small enough to fit in the lanky immortal's arms. His head was bowed over her and he seemed to be whispering to her.

* * *

The team stayed at Mildenhall long enough to confirm that Akna was dead and Max had returned to her relatively normal self.

"Look colonel both our problems have been solved there's no reason for us to stay here." Max grumbled.

"Max, I like you okay? But the fact is you and Adam are dangerous people with dangerous knowledge and the SGC isn't really happy with the idea of you two wandering around maybe getting killed and passing on your knowledge to an even more dangerous immortal."

"So we're prisoners?"

"No."

She gave him a cold look he shrugged and headed onto the transport she sighed and followed after accepting a set of earplugs from the loadmaster as she sat down and strapped in.

Since murdering Akna Max had returned to her former state but couldn't help but mourn the dead goddess, she had truly loved Akna. It was a twisted hypnotically induced love but love nonetheless, and in her hard scrabble life any love was rare. Even now she wondered about her bond with the other immortals in her life, she felt a deep sense of loyalty and trust, but was that love? She shook her head as the rear door closed and the engines powered on.


	7. Boredom and Career Advancement

The thrust reversers powered on and opened as the transport settled down. Max pulled the itchy earplugs out and rolled her head loosening stiff muscles. She watched the loadmaster and flying Crew Chief go through the landing checklist and insuring all was well. She leaned back and tried to relax in the last few seconds of peace before re-entering the SGC. She wouldn't admit it even under threat of torture but she was worried about people's reactions to her. After all the last time she had seen these people she had been a lunatic influenced by a Goa'uld inspired immortal. She shook her head and listened as the engines rumbled on.

Finally they taxied to a halt and she stood and stretched. Adam and Daniel led the way out deep in conversation she didn't recognize the language they were speaking. Jack was discussing the Simpsons with Teal'c and Carter. Max watched them go feeling a sense of familiar desolation settle over her. She raised her head and rolled her shoulders back. She would not be cowed by these mortals she was who she was had survived numerous deaths and close encounters, had killed dozens of men and women. She would not be cowed.

She strode down the walkway studying the layout of the reception. There were several obvious armed guards and judging by a random rooftop glint there were several snipers as well. Max jogged up to O'Neill.

"Think they have enough security?" Max asked coldly. Jack sighed.

"Look, Holloway I appreciate that you're pissed about this situation, I can't say that I would feel any differently in your place but, this is the way of it. You two are dangerous, you've proven that _and_ you're carrying around all of Akna's knowledge-"

"Which I've told you repeatedly I can not access!" Max interrupted huffily.

"Yes, so _you two_ say."

Max hung her head in mock exasperation and looking up sighed at the sight of more armed uniformed individuals crowding the entrance to the terminal.

"Adam!" Max called interrupting his strange conversation with Daniel.

"Yeah?"

"This is fucked up."

"Yes it is."

"Are you okay with this?"

"Not really but there isn't much choice at the moment." She glared at him.

"Max-" Adam said pulling her close to him. "- keep it together, we haven't gone this far to screw it up now. I will get us out of here, _eventually_. In the mean time keep cool, do not do anything to freak them out or they will lock you up or worse. Put yourself in their position Max." He growled and released her. She sighed and stretched her shoulders.

Sadly Adam was right in fact the SGC people had been rather humane all things considered, in their shoes she wasn't sure she would have been as lenient, shackles and chains would have been the least of the restrictions she would have recommended. So she bit her lip and played nice, greeting General Hammond and the rest of the command staff with her own wry good humor.

They were trucked into Cheyenne mountain in a well armed and guarded convoy, she and Adam were separated for the trip. She sighed at the pointlessness of it. She and Adam while far from super beings were perfectly capable of escaping and evading the armed escorts but they wouldn't because they were not fools. The mortals now had so much information about them and their culture that it would be extremely easy to find them. Or their friends. She sighed and shifted in her seat.

"Uncomfortable?" Carter asked. Max swallowed her impending smart ass reply and shrugged.

"I know this can't be easy for you Max." Carter said. Max felt the kindness in Carter's voice like nails on a chalkboard. Her anger was unreasonable but still it roiled. It burned in the back of her throat and pressed against her guts like sour bile.

"Yeah well, with luck we won't be here too long." Max said mildly struggling to meet the Major halfway. Max had always been a creature of urges, the urge to kill, fight, screw, the urge to anger or melancholy, she wondered if perhaps she was bi polar but didn't care. She was what she was.

"Yeah hopefully they'll clear you two and let you go about your lives." Carter said cheerfully but Max detected a hint of falsehood. She let it go, she doubted that Carter was being anything but kind and she doubted that she and Adam would be leaving any time that year. She sighed again and leaned back, folding her arms over her chest she peered out the window. Mercifully it took less than an hour to reach the base. She and Adam were assigned to neighboring quarters, allowed free reign between their quarters, a rec room/gym, and the chow hall. All other areas were either entirely off limits or required an escort.

* * *

Two weeks into their stay Max got bored. She was tired of being pissed off and nearly resigned to staying in the mountain for at least one mortal lifespan but was not content to go quietly. So she broke into the ventilation system.

She didn't really know where she was going just that it was somewhere she wasn't meant to be. She chuckled to herself pleased with her act of pointless defiance. She kept going until the shafts became tight and constricted. Honestly she was surprised she'd gotten so far. Generally ventilation systems were so flimsy and fragile that they couldn't support even a child's weight let alone her own. She began searching for an exit. Pulling the grate out of the way she peered at the fifteen foot drop. She shrugged or rather tried to in the tight confines of the shaft and dropped. She landed evenly and waited for the tingling in her feet and legs to cease.

She stood and stretched and studied her surroundings. It was a long plain concrete hallway with colored stripes running horizontally down the walls. She began walking listening for SFs and late night workers.

Finally she reached a dead end, a huge door secured with an electronic card reader. She cocked her head and thought through everything she knew about such devices, she decided she didn't know enough to circumvent it without alerting the system to her tampering. So she ducked into an adjoining hallway and waited. She literally had nothing else to do.

After more than an hour when she was pondering turning herself in, things got exciting. A low groaning alarm sounded and white emergency lights began flashing. She sat up and got to her feet. She heard people running toward the huge secure door. She poked her head out and spotted a squad of SFs geared up for close combat. She was intrigued. She slipped behind them and entered the room with them. She stopped stunned just inside the doorway.

The SFs took up defensive positions. They were facing a massive glowing circle of water. The edge of the circle was made of some kind of stone or metal and seven triangular decorations were glowing at random points on the stone. While she was taking in the structure an even more miraculous thing occurred. O'Niell appeared from within the light. Max's jaw literally dropped one by one the other members of SG-1 also appeared, and behind them came blasts of energy. As soon as Teal'c cleared the wall of water it vanished. The sirens ceased and a large wall of metal irised closed over the area where the water had been.

"One hour to debrief." General Landry's voice boomed from an unseen speaker. Max was still rooted to the spot.

"Uh, hi?" She asked hands held up.

"Oh for cryin out loud, how did she get in here?" Jack demanded. The SFs looked baffled she shrugged sheepishly.

"Sorry I got bored." She said and gave a weak smile. This was not how she had imagined things going.

"Incidentally what the hell is that?" She asked hands still up but nodding toward the ring.

"Would someone please cuff her?" Jack asked. The guards scrambled to obey. She didn't fight them. O'Neill looked apoplectic, Landry appeared at the door behind her and didn't seem any happier. The guards frog marched her down to the detention level.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" Adam demanded.

Max was shackled to her chair, her wrists were cuffed and fastened to a chain around her waist. She shrugged, her chains rattled in counterpoint.

"Look I didn't know I would stumble across something like that, I was _bored_ okay?"

"Bored? Max do you know what I've been through the last few months? The lies I've spun, the risks I've taken? You know you are an extremely ungrateful person."

"S'okay I think my ennui is all better now." Adam literally threw up his hands.

"You know you'll be lucky if all they do is lock you up forever."

"Oh please I don't even know what that thing was. Besides you really think they haven't tagged us or something yet?"

"Actually I know they have, at least once."

"What do you want me to say? Yes I'm sorry I screwed up and ended up there but I'm not sorry I got into that vent. Adam they were happy to keep us caged like high priced hamsters –"

"There are worse things Max, in life, than being caged on holy ground." Adam grunted dourly.

"Okay here are the facts you screwed up, the General who has until now been uncharacteristically sympathetic is now pissed off, so any leniency we may have had coming is now gone. So I suggest throwing yourself on your sword and begging forgiveness. I have washed my hands of you."

"Pilate." She grumbled.

"No, he was short and mostly bald, stress of the job." Adam muttered and left. Max settled into her chair and tried to get comfortable. Eventually she started to doze. She woke with a jerk when the door crashed open. Two SFs gripped her upper arms and dragged her off.

They left her sitting in a long room. On one side was a transparent diagram of circles and lines, at one end was a large viewing screen and opposite the diagram was a massive viewing window which was covered. She sat chained and guarded. Bored she whistled jauntily to the annoyance of her guards. Finally SG-1 and General Hammond arrived. None looked pleased.

"How did you get to the . . .room?" O'Neill asked seeming to change his mind about his phrasing.

"I've told you guys like a dozen times now. I climbed into the ventilation shaft and ended up in the hallway. When that alert or whatever went off I just snuck into the room behind the guards. What was that thing?"

"Wow you have no idea how screwed you are." Daniel said amazed.

"Screwed? Come on you lot weren't going to let me go anyway. You don't trust me, you think I'm some kind of weird threat, you're afraid I'm going to wake up one day and become Akna. So screw you!" Max snapped.

"General, may I?" O'Neill asked. Max rolled her eyes at the assembled group and was sorely tempted to flip the General the bird. She glowered. Hammond nodded and Jack uncuffed Max, she rubbed her wrists and flexed her hands.

"Thank you." She said mildly.

"Okay yes you're right you're a threat. You are also, sneaky, violent, skilled, obstinate, and curious." She shrugged again.

"What would you do if you were us?"

"I don't know, let me help? Look I may not be trained in the same things you lot are. But I can kill, I've done it before and I'm good at it. I know right from wrong and which side my bread is buttered on. I don't have a clue what you're doing, I barely remember the last what six months since this whole joy fest began. So, you can have me, a proven asset, smart, capable, and efficient also very trainable or you can have me as an obstinate, pissed off, hard headed, pain in the ass prisoner." She suggested. Max was careful not to voice her own suspicion that if she were confined in the manner suggested she would likely loose it and do something violent.

"We _could_ freeze her, sir." Jack suggested.

"Colonel suggestions?"

"Run her through the battery if she passes maybe we'll give her a go." Jack suggested. Daniel shook his head.

"What four eyes? Don't think I can hack it?" Max demanded. Daniel laughed and shook his head.

"I wouldn't sweat the physical stuff but I think you might have some problems with the psych eval." Max folded her arms and cocked her head.

"Sir?" Carter asked and gestured outside the room. O'Neill followed her out.

"Are you sure about this sir?"

"Major we're two people short of a full complement, have been since we started this. Now, she's right, she does have some useful skills, and she's a proven killer. Plus she can't die."

"Sir-"

"Carter relax she still has to pass all the same requirements as anyone else being considered for the program."

"You know colonel Daniel may be right about the psych eval."

"If he is we have nothing to worry about, besides Carter there's no law that says she'll be part of SG-1."

"Yeah right."

"Major?"

"Sir, no one can resist the temptation of an immortal on their combat team."

* * *

The tests were exhaustive everything from reflexes to night vision, from a full health evaluation including DNA, hair, urine, saliva, and other less mentionable samples. They trained her on small arms and large arms evaluating her performances after each micro training session. They introduced her to energy weapons that were wholly unfamiliar to her and again graded her performance and reaction. Finally on the fourth day she was given the psychological evaluation.

"Give me your autobiography."

"Why?"

"I just want to get to know you in your own words." She studied the tall lean evaluator.

"I was born and raised in Seacouver, at least I believe I was born there no one really knows where we come from, could be the damn stork for all I know. Anyway I lived there my whole life until I was coming home from work and was kidnapped raped and murdered." She paused lost in thought.

"What happened after?" The evaluator nudged.

"What did they tell you about me? My kind I mean."

"You are an immortal being, you can only truly die if you suffer decapitation." She nodded gazing into the corner.

"Yeah that's us. What they don't tell you is that you don't know that. See even if you're born with the potential to become immortal you aren't guaranteed it, you have to die violently for the immortality to be triggered, a nice kind of booby prize for winning the ultimate sperm lottery.

Anyway afterward I woke up in a park. I was naked and freezing. My clothes were absolutely shredded. I was covered in my own dry blood. I was shaking like a leaf but I didn't hurt. I mean whatever had happened had healed. I didn't think about that. I didn't really think I just wanted to go home. I made it there somehow, bare foot, mostly naked and bloody, it was just after dawn so there weren't a lot of people out.

I made it home cleaned up, went to bed and didn't move for a week. I didn't really have friends. I drove away anyone who took an interest and I worked a dead end job that didn't pay enough to cover my bills. I lost the job; my boss called and left a message." She paused again and sipped from the water glass in front of her.

"Anyway I found the guy eventually, took care of him and six months later Adam found me. He took me to a friend and the two of them taught me about being an immortal, taught me to fight and made me family." The evaluator made copious notes while she spoke and then began asking questions. They broke for lunch and returned to finish the day. Finally at four she was allowed to go.

She was escorted under close guard to her quarters. She took a long shower and curled up under an extra blanket. She felt cold and oddly soiled, eventually she drifted off.

* * *

"What's the verdict sir?" O'Neill asked. Hammond was reviewing Max's file, he finished and handed it over the colonel. The SGC in addition to taking Max's version of events had done their own homework in preparation to issuing some kind of security clearance.

"Her story checks out." Hammond said as O'Neill began to read. Hammond began going through paperwork while Jack finished the file. The colonel gave a low whistle as he closed it.

"Hell of a story sir."

"You could say that. Did you see the psych eval?"

"I've seen worse."

"Not in the SGC."

"Come on Colonel who here _hasn't_ gotten a little crazy now and then."

"Colonel she hunted down and tortured her murderer to death."

"Can't bring myself to argue that that was an unjustified act sir."

"I agree colonel but it's a disturbing precedent."

"We knew from the get-go she was a killer sir. It's an asset. Besides sir she demonstrated perfect recall on all training sessions and she's a damn good shot for a noob."

"Colonel the report also notes that she displays borderline Psychotic tendencies, enjoys inflicting pain and gets a rush from killing. She has all ready proven she's impulsive and obstinate."

"Agreed sir which is why I'd like to take her into the field and see how she reacts."

"She could be a liability colonel."

"Sir worst case scenario we shoot her and run."

"Would you be comfortable with that?"

"Not really but its not like she'd stay dead."

"Fine Colonel you're next mission should be a straightforward recon. Issue her gear and take her along but tell her a bare minimum, if she isn't going to work out we don't need to give her more information than necessary."

"Very good sir."

Max was stoked, granted Adam still wasn't talking to her but she got to go through that circle thingy and carry a weapon. She allowed Carter and the team to triple check her gear and weapon.

"Okay by the numbers this is simple recon. Max keep your eyes and ears open, your finger off the trigger and follow my lead, I am in command then Carter after that well do as you see fit." O'Neill led the way up the ramp Max took the second spot, Daniel, Carter, and Teal'c followed.

The trip was bitterly cold for half a heartbeat and then she was standing on an alien world, she had the presence of mind to step aside and avoid getting stepped on by the others.

The planet looked pretty nice, it reminded her of the rugged areas of Washington out toward the peninsula and the Olympic range, quite idyllic. Then the bolt of an energy weapon crashed into the gate near her head. She dropped to her belly and drew her assault rifle to bear on the source of the blast. She couldn't see anyone. SG-1 had also hit the dirt.

"Daniel can you get to the DHD to dial out?"

"Doubtful." Daniel grunted as another blast struck the circle.

"Sir? Not to interrupt, but isn't this kind of perfect for me? I've got the home address memorized, you guys give me enough cover fire to get over there, I'll dial, scoot back and bob's your uncle."

"Okay one, who says that? I mean seriously Bob's your uncle? What does that even mean? Two no, that's suicide." O'Neill growled and got to one knee; he laid down a layer of fire and was rewarded with a scream and half dozen additional blasts.

"O'Neill she has a point." Teal'c grunted as he returned fire.

"Fine, on my count, screw this up Max and –"

She was all ready off using Teal'c's counter fire for best effect. She ran low nearly kneeing herself in the chin, she slid to a halt next to the DHD and scrambled around it, painfully aware that her back was completely exposed to the unseen enemy. She quickly slapped the seven chevrons and turned to hurry back.

One of the energy bolts caught her high in the chest; another nailed her in the thigh. She snarled and hit the ground dragging herself around the DHD she used it as cover while catching her breath and healing, once she felt strong enough she got to her feet and charged the gate. She joined the team just as the wormhole opened, narrowly avoiding the splash of water that heralded its opening. O'Neill grabbed her by the scruff of her uniform and hurled her into the wormhole the others kept returning fire and then followed after.

She landed roughly on the grate with a sharp clang. She winced and waved away the waiting medical crew. SG-1 tumbled into the gate room and the wormhole snapped closed and vanished.

"Holloway report!" O'Neil demanded. She got to her feet and held her arms out in an attitude of surrender. The team took in her burned and holed uniform and her undeniable health.

"Sweet." Jack said approvingly. She wordlessly handed over her MP5 and 9MM hand gun.

"Do I pass?" She asked archly. Carter was still staring at her whole skin through the holes in her uniform.

"Sir this is incredible." Max unable to help herself did a little pirouette.

"So, back to the brig for me?"


	8. Good Times and Bad

Adam was waiting for her when she returned to her quarters.

"So?" He asked.

"It was awesome, an alien planet Adam!" He grinned and shook his head.

"You really got shot up?" She gestured at her clothes.

"Energy weapons, hurt like a bitch but no one else got hurt." He nodded.

"Adam why don't you come with us?"

"No thanks Max, its not only energy weapons out there, there are plenty of explosives as well."

"Okay then what are you going to do?"

"Wait for now, appreciate the fact that the only other immortal in the area has no interest in me." Adam said and shrugged. He would also he decided see how much information about the two of them he could eradicate from the base computer. There would be hard copies as well somewhere but those would keep.

"So what do we tell Mac and Joe?"

"I wouldn't sweat it; immortals wander off and start new lives all the time. Mac shouldn't mind too much. I'd keep Joe apprised though, well as much as possible; nothing protected anyway but if you try to shut him out the Council will try to assign you a Watcher."

"Yeah, and that would be bad." Max agreed. She sat down and stretched yawning.

"Tired?"

"I guess getting shot at on an alien planet is a little exhausting." She said and grinned.

* * *

"General I'd like to keep her on, at least for one more mission, especially since we know her immortality isn't affected by the gate."

"Major?"

"Well, she did get us out of a sticky situation sir, I mean we could have gotten to the DHD eventually but it would have taken a lot of time and ammo and it still would've been risky. I can't guarantee we would've gotten away without some injuries."

"Colonel I don't like this. We don't know enough about her to have her on permanently. I'd like to classify her as a specialist." Landry said.

"Suicide missions only?" Jack asked tightly.

"It's not my decision Colonel, the president has refused to give her permanent status as a member of the SGC. If you want her she's going to have to be held on as a contracted Specialist only. Her clearance is up in the air as well, so you tell her only what she absolutely has to know."

"This sucks sir."

"Dismissed Colonel."

"Sir, I understand your reticence to trust her but how is it okay to give her a bare minimum of information and assign her impossible missions?" Daniel objected.

"Dr. Jackson I suspect that if you ask her whether she would like to go free this afternoon or stay here and work with us wearing blinders she would agree to stay here."

"That doesn't make it right." Daniel grumbled.

"I agree but for now it's out of our hands."

"What about Adam?" Daniel pushed.

"Dr. Pierson is a subject for another day Dr. Jackson." Daniel sighed ceding the point for the moment he retreated and rejoined the rest of SG-1 in the hallway.

"It's not right Jack. She deserves to know what she's getting involved in."

"It's not our call, and trust me Danny the General meant it when he said she'd rather be with us.

"Why?" Jack frowned. Holloway's file was confidential.

"Daniel, we can't do anything about it either way now, let's get cleaned up and get some chow." Carter suggested.

"A wise suggestion." Teal'c concurred. Daniel shook his head, it was wrong.

* * *

Max was sleeping soundly. Adam quietly closed her door and stood in the hallway thinking. He knew from Max that the circle she had found was some kind of transportation device, presumably the Chapa'ai. He wondered if the demons who had stolen his family lurked somewhere beyond that wall of water. He shuddered.

"Dr. Pierson?" It was Daniel.

"Oh, up late Dr." Adam said and forced a yawn.

"How is she?"

"Surprisingly well. She enjoyed your little trip."

"Yeah about that. Look Gen. Hammond can't give her permanent standing as SGC personnel. So he wants to classify her as a contracted specialist."

"Meaning?"

"She's on a need to know basis and gets the . . . interesting jobs."

Adam shrugged.

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Max is one of the toughest, most resilient, and determined people I've ever met. She'll handle it, probably enjoy it."

"Why?"

"Ask her." Adam said and headed for his quarters.

"Wait." Daniel said and grabbed Adam's arm. Adam gazed at the contact and allowed his eyes to slowly drift up and meet Jackson's. Adam noted that the younger man did not flinch, drop his gaze, or break contact.

"I have a job offer for you, come by my office when you get a chance tomorrow, I'll have the details for you." Daniel released Adam and continued on his way.

* * *

Max woke eager for her next trial. She dressed in the plain jump suit she had worn since arriving at the mountain and slipped on her boots. She stretched and limbered up before leaving her room. On the way to the chow hall she encountered Major Carter.

"Morning Major." Max said. Carter smiled.

"Hi, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, generally after coming back I'm just tired, sometimes thirsty and occasionally sore. But, I'm fine now."

"Thirsty?"

"Blood loss I guess. Any action today?"

"Not that I know of although around here who knows?"

"Heh, yeah, wait, what?" Max asked but Carter was all ready well past her and nearly to the elevators. Max shrugged and kept walking.

* * *

Max was practicing in the gym using a dull weighted sword in lieu of her own weapon which had been lost god only knew where in the previous months. She didn't think she would need a replacement any time soon. To the best of her knowledge immortals only existed on earth and none of them including Adam could attack her on the SGC installation, partly because it would take an act of god to allow a hostile immortal to infiltrate the SGC but also the whole mountain was holy ground, twice holy actually. A little research revealed that the local tribes had considered the mountain a centerpiece of some of their myths and the installation had become holy ground by the laying of a blessed cornerstone when construction on the facility began. According to Adam that was the standard procedure, it made him a big fan of mothballed military facilities.

So she ran through her repertoire a few times and then spent some time improvising. Teal'c arrived and began practicing with his own staff.

"Hey Teal'c!" Max called to the big Jaffa.

Max realized that Teal'c was probably not human. He was huge, didn't seem to have a sense of humor and practiced a martial arts style wholly foreign to her. Still, she didn't want to pry and honestly didn't care too much, he was part of the exalted SG-1 and a pretty decent guy from what she could see.

"Greetings Max Holloway." Teal'c replied in a quieter tone.

"Want to spar?" She offered.

"I am unsure if that would be wise."

"Come, on, I'll even let you kill me if I suck too much." She said with a grin. Teal'c looked nonplussed.

"That will not be necessary." He said. He faced her and saluted her with his practice staff. She returned the honor and readied her dull heavy blade. The practice sword could break bones and skulls but would be hard pressed to break skin.

Silently the two combatants joined. There was a blur of movement and Teal'c was on the ground. He regained his feet and the two warriors touched again, this time Max ended up on her back. They continued the exchange, keyed up on adrenaline and enjoying the challenge of the other's skill. Teal'c was huge but fast as well as strong, his use of the staff was artful and effective, while Max was small and lightning quick she was also very strong for her size and a master with the blade. After a few passes the two had collected a small crowd. Again they touched and blurred into a rapid exchange of blows this time they both ended up weaponless and grappling like gladiators.

Max was being pinned by Teal'c's huge hands, she wriggled and fought and sought out pressure points but the big Jaffa held on. Finally she levered herself against the ground with enough force to break the arm Teal'c was gripping. She used her new angle to lever the big man off her. She rolled away from him straightened her broken arm with a sick crunch and picked up her blade. Teal'c was one step ahead having retrieved his staff he brought it whistling towards her. She jumped backwards and brought her blade up to block Teal'c's powerhouse blow. The impact dropped her to her knees, she took the opportunity to knock Teal'c's feet loose and slam the butt of her blade into his belly. He let out a low noise and struggled to regain his breath. Max took the chance to step back and wipe her face. She was panting with effort. Teal'c got to his feet and saluted her. The crowd began applauding and whistling. Aware of them for the first time the two combatants looked equally embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"That was amazing Teal'c thanks."

"You are an accomplished warrior Max Holloway."

"Just Max Teal'c I got Holloway out of a phone book after my first death." Max said walking to the edge of the padded mat they had been sparring on. She handed Teal'c a sports drink and helped herself from the same cooler. She wiped her face clean of perspiration and glared at the straggling crowd. Most discovered business they had elsewhere.

"Indeed." Teal'c said intrigued. Max gave him a wan smile.

"I stayed out of sight so long someone filed a missing persons report. They found a witness to my kidnapping, and the place where he . . . killed me. There was so much blood that they assumed I had been killed and moved. So I couldn't use my name or bank accounts, credit cards, car, I.D. anything without having to answer a lot of questions. So I grabbed a phone book. The name I was born with was Sara Lock, but my fiends always called me Max. So I just picked a last name and voila Max Holloway at your service."

"Are Colonel O'Neil and General Hammond aware of your name change?"

"Sure I mean they've got some great investigators and they had plenty of time to look me up." She said shrugging and sitting on a bench next to the cooler.

They made small talk and Teal'c excused himself. She remained seated thinking and resting. Her battle with Teal'c had been exhilarating. She was amazed he had not suffered further injury. Whatever he was he was definitely a formidable warrior. She stood up and retrieved her practice sword.

She began running through her katas again warming down and relaxing her body and mind with the familiar meditative movements. She felt deeply calm and relax as she finished. She strode to the weapons locker and pulled out a cleaning cloth. She wiped down the sword and replaced it in its niche.

"Holloway!" She looked up from the locker and spotted O'Neill. She replaced the cleaning cloth and smiled at the Colonel.

"Afternoon Colonel." She said.

"Howdy, heard you and Teal'c put on a quite a show."

"Yeah I guess we got a little out of hand."

"I heard that it was . . . 'quite impressive' I believe the term was."

"Teal'c is very, very good."

"You are no slouch yourself." Teal'c said re-entering the gym. She inclined her head in unconscious mimicry of the big Jaffa. O'Neill smirked.

"So you're good with a sword is Adam also as skilled?"

"I couldn't say sir. He taught me as did others but he's older than me and could be hiding some skills."

"Okay when you spar is he better?"

"Well, yes and no sir, if I had to say I'd guess we're about equal."

"Cool." O'Neill said.

"He won't join your team sir."

"Why not? You think its fun."

"Uh, well, sir with all due respect, I have issues. _And_ he's a survivor it's his basic function in life and he has a healthy respect for explosives. He won't agree to it."

"Well, the bad news is neither of you is going to receive clearance to leave the base."

"I don't think he'll mind."

"Really?" Jack asked intrigued.

"He likes holy ground, the SGC is holy ground surrounded by state of the art security and well armed guards none of which are aimed at him, plus the only immortal who even knows about this joint is me."

"Huh you think he'll work with us? In a non-explosive combat way?"

"Well he's smart and probably just as bored as me. Sure, why not?" Far off a soft whining and muffled P.A. announcement rang out. Max twisted and tried to hear better Teal'c and the Colonel began jogging toward the room the circle was kept in. She made a mental note to ask for a more thorough briefing about what the hell was going on at the SGC, or for that matter what the SGC stood for.

"Unscheduled off world activation, security teams to the gate room." The P.A. blared the same klaxon and flashing lights that had been going off on Max's ill fated venture were once again active.

"What's up?" She asked the Colonel as they jogged.

"Don't know, grab a weapon." He said gesturing at an open locker on the wall. She snatched an MP5 racked a round and killed the safety. She hurried after the Colonel and snapped the safety back on as she rejoined the group.

"Orders?" She asked relishing the word. She wondered if before, when she was mortal she would have enjoyed this so much.

"Keep your head down and for once listen to me."

"K." She said and thumbed the safety off.

O'Neill and Teal'c entered with weapons ready; each stood to one side of the door and took a knee targeting the circle's metal surface.

"Hey where'd the water-"she was interrupted when a team of Marines arrived and formed a perimeter in front of the circle.

"Receiving SG-12's GDO." The P. A. announced with a low scraping sound the metal shield twisted away from the circle's center. Max grunted and adjusted her grip on the MP5.

Five harried uniformed personnel tumbled out of the watery circle shots rang out and a giant man with a steel animal head charged after holding a staff and firing blasts of energy after the six men. Max recognized the energy blasts as the ones she and SG-1 had encountered. The Marines opened fire with careful three shot bursts missing the newly arrived team and dropping the metal man. Silence reigned for a moment and then the circle whined and vanished. The klaxons and lights ceased and the Marine team stood up. Slowly O'Neill and Teal'c stood as well.

Max walked up to the dead man and leaned over his face. With a whine the metal head retracted and melded into a torque like collar around his broad shoulders. The man was certainly dead. She poked at him just to be sure.

"Holloway, knock it off." O' Neill said and began helping the battered members of SG-12 to their feet.

"Okay, he's not human." Max said and shot the Colonel a questioning look. He gave her a blank face and escorted SG-12 out of the room and down to the infirmary. Max dogged along.

"Colonel I appreciate that you guys have concerns about me and my clearance but hey I'm tagged, I'm locked down and I'm on your side, can you at least throw me a bone?"

"He was Jaffa." Teal'c said from his position further ahead.

"Like you?"

"Yes."

"Where's your helmet?" She asked. He reverted to stoic silent guy. She groaned and threw her hands up.

"Okay I'm going to the range." She grumbled and stomped off.

* * *

She ran a couple boxes of ammo through the MP5 before Adam found her.

"They offered me a position as a translator." He said handing her a clip. She glanced up at him.

"And? You gonna take it? You know they aren't going to clear us to leave."

"Yes, I'll take it. There are secrets here that I'd like to know more about."

"You know the Colonel wants you on a combat team." She said inserting the clip and racking a round.

"Yes, but I'd rather not."

"You don't want to see an alien planet?"

"I don't want to see an alien planet where the inhabitants are trying to kill me."

"You are so boring." She said and hit her target with a rapid burst dead center mass. Adam took the weapon and still standing stippled the target with a perfect cross section.

"I'll see you later." He said handing it back. Suitably cowed she accepted the weapon and loaded another clip. She kept practicing hoping the Colonel's spies hadn't seen Adam's shots. Adam was a formidable warrior, well beyond Max's abilities but they didn't need to know that. She was fairly certain that if pushed Adam could wreak enough havoc to bust out and vanish into the throngs of mortals on the planet. Of course she hoped he would take her with him but if she was off world. . . she frowned. Collecting her gear and turning it into the armory she went in search of Adam.

* * *

"Are you staying here because of me?" She demanded. He was sitting at his desk going through a few SGC training manuals that had been heavily edited for content and then released to him as a primer on his future work.

"What?"

"Are you staying here because you don't want to leave me with these guys?" She asked.

"No, I'm staying here because the battalion of armed men and women above my head want me to stay here."

"Sure. Look, if you don't want to stay here then don't. We both know you don't have to. I'm fine now and this is something I can be good at, and will be good for me. I don't have to worry anymore." Neither voiced that the worry was that she would loose control of her urges and kill an innocent.

"Max relax I'm fine, you are not imposing on me in any way. I'm content to be here, working with a quarter of the information I need to do a proper translation- look Max, seriously take it easy I'm not unhappy. Just, take care of yourself and keep your head attached." She didn't believe him.

"Adam-"

"Max let it go. You can believe me or not either way I'm staying here." She grunted and stomped off.

* * *

"Hey got a mission, you wanna come?" Jack asked. Max was bent over her desk going through a book on hieroglyphics Adam had given her. She cocked her head.

"No I wanna know what that thing is, what a Jaffa is and why it wants to kill us, and-"

"Ah, ah, ah, enough, look I can't tell you all that."

"Why? Because I'm a threat? What have I done to you? I was a victim remember?"

"Yeah well that whole thing with Akna left a bad taste in a lot of mouths."

"If I knew what she knew don't you think I would have shown it by now? That thing she did with the lightning? How could I hide that?" O'Neill just stared at her.

"Okay tell you what, Adam tells me you guys ran all kinds of tests on me when we first got here, why don't you rerun those tests and see if anything has changed? Hmm?"

"Okay, I'm not arguing with you I'm just saying that I don't know that doing that would help your case." He pointed out.

She groaned.

"So, coming?"

She sighed and closed her book.

"Yeah I'm coming." She stood up and followed the Colonel out. They got to the departure room as she had come to think of it and Teal'c handed her an MP5 and a sword complete with a flat black Velcro easy carry scabbard. She grinned and strapped on the blade. She drew it and checked the edge and balance satisfied she replaced it and checked over her assault rifle. Jack gave her a raised eyebrow she nodded and stepped into line.

"Okay kids let's go." Jack said. She hated knowing nothing but wouldn't give up the chance to see what was beyond this room. Biting back an acerbic comment she followed the other four into the watery circle.

This time the planet was far more arid, more high plains and irrigated fields than trees and there wasn't a hostile force waiting for them. She smiled but stayed alert. Getting hit by that energy weapon had hurt far more than she'd let on, she was glad to avoid it again.

"So what gives boss?" She asked.

"This is a first contact situation. We'll do the talking." Jack said. Daniel looked peeved but didn't add anything. Carter and Teal'c took point Carter held some kind of hand held doo-dad that she referred to frequently. Max slipped the safety off her rifle and kept close. There were very few trees, what there were appeared to be deciduous, judging by their coloring and the ambient temperature it seemed like high summer, but who knew, on an alien world this could be a balmy spring afternoon. Still the place seemed too quiet, no animals, no birds, no people in the well cared for fields.

"Sir I'm not getting any readings, the recon team reported a moderately advanced society, with electricity. I'm not reading any E.M. signatures."

"Okay proceed with caution gang this doesn't feel right."

"Jack." Daniel said and nodded. A settlement had become visible. It was a charming cluster of homes and larger buildings framed by large deciduous trees. A small brook trickled through the center of the settlement. It was quite pretty. Very picturesque post card, ye olde cottage stuff.

"Nice." Max said.

"Okay, Teal'c you and Max take point." Jack grunted. Max and Teal'c moved to the front of the group and headed in.

She was hyper alert but the settlement was freakishly silent. The only sound was the incongruously cheerful brook trickling and singing along. They crossed a crude footbridge and spread out. Doctrine dictated at least ten feet between them in case one triggered an explosive or booby trap.

Max paused before a modest home. She ignored Teal'c and walked onto the crude but sturdy porch and tried the door. It wasn't locked.

"Max-" Teal'c objected. She ignored him and entered cautiously. A blood curdling cry rent the air. Max staggered out of the door and down the porch. A massive butcher's knife protruded from her chest. She grunted, dropped to one knee and pulled the blade free. Thanks to her Kevlar the blade had struck the edge of the vest and dug in just below her collarbone, it was fully submerged but hadn't cause much damage, the tip was hung up in the rear of the vest so it took a little effort to free it.

She gasped softly as the blade came free. She tossed it behind her in the dirt. Teal'c appeared next to her weapon ready. Max held one hand to the wound attempting to staunch the blood flow until it healed, the other held her weapon.

"It's just a kid." She said wincing. The rest of the team came running.

"Okay new record Max well done. Teal'c?" Jack said annoyed.

"Max says it was a child."

"You gonna be okay?"

"Heh, I'll live." She said checking the movement of her arm on the injured side.

"Why is it taking you longer to heal from that than the staff blasts?" Carter asked. Max shrugged.

"Don't know, I don't like sit around damaging myself and timing the healing Major, I'm not that curious." Max said standing up and flexing her shoulders.

"So, a kid?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah she was hiding in the rafters."

"Well it looks like the rest of this place is deserted."

"No bodies huh? Guess this kid is our only witness." Max said.

"Colonel I'm still not reading any E.M. signatures but even if all their electronics were turned off and the power source for this settlement had been disabled there should be residual readings."

"Okay, so . . .?"

"She's right Jack, this doesn't look like the settlement from the mission briefing." Daniel added carefully not listing the planet's catalogue designation.

"So . . . what, wrong planet?" Jack asked.

"Hey Colonel." Max interrupted and gestured toward the house. The girl was peering out at them from the doorway. She had shoulder length hair of an indeterminate color, it was matted and stringy. She was dressed in threadbare home spun, bare foot she peered at them with feral eyes.

"Hey sweetheart its okay, we aren't going to hurt you." Jack said crouching and moving his weapon so it hung from his back.

"Be careful Colonel, you won't heal." Max said. He ignored her. The girl blinked at him and vanished back into the house. O'Neill sighed and gestured for Max to take point. She loosened her sword in the scabbard and slung her weapon behind her back.

She entered and moved with an obscene silence that was bizarre to watch. The air almost didn't move around her. Max was afraid of spooking the girl before she spotted her again. So she relied on all the training Adam had given her in stealth. She spotted the girl, hiding under a table another weapon in hand. She waved behind her gesturing for the team to come in. She nodded toward the table and waited while O'Neill and Teal'c circled around and blocked the girl's escape route. Max moved closer but left space.

"Hey." Carter said. She took her weapon off and fished around in a pocket pulling out a candy bar she unwrapped it and held it out. The girl looked terrified.

"It's okay, it's food." Carter said.

"We don't know that they speak English." Daniel pointed out.

"Come on sweetie." Sam crooned. The smell of the chocolate began to permeate the hot stale air. Max's stomach growled loudly.

The girl tested the air like a hound and shifted in her hiding place. Carter took a bite of the bar and set it down a few feet from the table. The girl shifted again her eyes darting between the team and the food and the door. She lingered briefly on Max and then focused on the bar again.

She darted out like a snake and snatched up the bar. She whipped around Max and went for the door. Max snagged the girl's ragged shirt/dress and pulled her close. The child was all teeth and nails. Teal'c moved in and pinned the girl gently but firmly. Max's face was bleeding from a dozen rents and gouges from the girl's filthy nails. While the team watched soft blue light crawled over the wounds knitting the flesh together. Soon Max was bloodied but whole.

The girl was making a low keening noise and avoiding all contact. She wriggled and fought like a landed fish. Wild desperate tugs and jerks, her limbs were pinned but she had a lunatic strength that she used to rock Teal'c. The Jaffa frowned.

"Be calm we will not injure you." He rumbled. The girl continued to fight Carter got to her feet and retrieved the bar, the girl had dropped it once Max nabbed her. She held it out to the girl. She ate it from Carter's hand wolfishly.

"She's starving." Carter said concerned. Mollified the child settled down. Teal'c shifted his grip and cradled the girl against his broad chest. She was not happy but secure. Max dug around in her various pockets until she found a wet wipe and cleaned some of the blood off her face, enough to at least let her see clearly.

"Orders?" She asked securing her blade and checking her gun.

"If we dial home will we end up there?"

"Hard to say sir, we don't know where here is or if we're on the wrong planet, its possible the dialing computer made an error and dialed the incorrect address, if that's the case the DHD will send us back."

"Okay, how about we dial in and see who's home?"

"Daniel, any idea what happened here?"

"I don't know Jack, if we could find some kind of records or archive maybe I could find out more."

"Okay, Carter you and Teal'c see if you can get General Hammond on the phone, take the kid with you she seems to like Teal'c. The rest of us will see what there is to see. Check in every ten minutes." The group split up.

Daniel and Jack took the lead. Max was feeling a little worn from healing her wounds. She kept a sharp ear and eye but was content to take the rear.

They did a methodical search finally reaching the largest building in the settlement.

"So its here or nothing?" Max asked rhetorically.

"Yeah- Sam?" Daniel said keying his radio.

"Dialing out seems to be working. Syler says they've been running diagnostics on the dialing computer, nothing so far, but we should be able to get home fine."

"We're at the last building we should be able to leave in the hour."

"Copy." Sam replied. Jack was looking over the façade. It was a two story wooden clapboard construct. Fairly durable and a little more sophisticated than the rest of the settlement.

"Colonel?" Max called.

"In we go kids." He replied.

Max sighed and stepped into the entrance. The foyer was grand and dusty, very dusty. Little plumes of dust drifted into the air with every step, it was like footage of the moon landing. She waved a hand in front of her face and coughed. Dim sunlight filtered down from large windows on the upper floor casting deep shadows and filling the spaces with murky light. The dust was almost wholly undisturbed. Small tracks, probably rodents ran along the walls, it looked like birds had been nesting in some of the higher decorative sections of the walls.

"No ones been in here in years." Max said stepping aside and allowing the others to enter.

"Daniel?"

"Uh, well I think we should at least finish looking around." Daniel argued. Jack gestured for him to go ahead. Daniel ventured into the dust and filth. Max and Jack began exploring on their own.

A large staircase loomed in front of Max. If the condition of the rest of the structure was any indication the stairs would likely collapse and kill her. Still, Daniel's archive might be up there. The people who had lived here and that feral girl needed a voice. She sighed and put one boot on the first step. It whined and groaned disturbingly. She allowed the step to take her weight waited for the inevitable collapse and then continued up. The going didn't get easier, and twice a step collapsed under her, weirdly the banister was made of sturdier stuff than the steps so she managed to catch herself. Finally she made it to the top. A thin sheen of cold sweat had beaded on her brow. She wiped it away and keyed her radio.

"Colonel I'm on the second floor. I wouldn't recommend taking the stairs; they're a little hazardous for your health. I'll take a look around, see if there's anything worthwhile up here."

"Max, do you remember me telling you to go up there?"

"Ah, no Colonel but-"

"That's because it was too dangerous. Have you even heard of a chain of command?"

"Sorry Colonel I'm going to have to get back to you." Max said distractedly.

Max stood before a dozen armed youths, all were nearly naked, sex and age almost impossible to determine through the grime coating them. They were armed with blades and clubs.

"Hi guys, I'm Max and you are?" One of the youths a little taller and fiercer looking than the others raised his blade.

"O-kay, we can skip the introductions." She said still smiling. She left her weapon slung on her back and slowly reached for her sword. The boy let out an inhuman screech and charged her. The others followed after. Max managed to draw the sword and disarm a handful of the kids but there were too many and even she wasn't willing to kill them. They overwhelmed her and beat her unconscious.

* * *

She woke in a half congealed pool of her own blood. Her face still felt swollen and her head ached horribly. Her eyes were glued shut by clotted blood. She opened her eyes slowly struggling to see. The kids were gone. She slowly sat up.

Her clothing was soaked and stiff; she peeled off her utility vest and dropped it on the ground. She picked up the radio and keyed it but got nothing but static back. She sighed and dropped it. Her sword and MP5 were gone. She checked what gear she had. She drank what water she had and slipped a combat knife into her sleeve.

She had to find the team and get them back to earth. Max headed out into the rest of the second floor. Up here the dust wasn't nearly as thick; it was mostly confined to the edges of the rooms. The first few she entered were packed with books and artwork but otherwise empty. It looked like there was a lot of traffic through the center of the room but the edges and corners were mostly untouched. Max picked up a book from one of the shelves. It was glued shut with dust. She carefully peeled the cover open and tried to read the text. The alphabet wasn't English or the less familiar Cyrillic it didn't even look like Sanskrit. She frowned at it and replaced it.

A soft shuffle caught her ears she turned slowly and spotted a very young boy. He was wearing filthy pants and no shirt. He held what looked like a sharpened trowel. He had an air of purpose to him. He stared at her, blood soaked, left for dead and took off like a bat out of hell.

"Wait!" She shouted to no purpose. Cursing she took off after him hoping to stop him before he rounded up the rest of the horde. She slid into the next room. The floor was slick with a thin grit of dirt and dust. The boy disappeared into the far doorway. She picked up the pace and struggled to grab him. He whipped out of her grasp and took off sprinting. Breathing hard now she struggled to keep up, the boy entered a huge room and whipped left. Max staggered, caught herself and snatched for his bare arm. Again he got away. She paused to catch her breath and looked around.

SG-1 was laid on what looked like a huge banquet table. Only there wasn't any food, just tarnished eating ware and the team. They seemed okay from a distance. She debated pursuing the boy but decided to check the team first. They were unconscious battered but nothing seemed broken. Teal'c stirred as she checked his pulse.

"Hey big guy take it easy, they worked you over pretty good."

"Max, are you injured?"

"Not any more." She grimaced. "The others are here, they're unconscious. Can you sit up?"

Teal'c managed to sit up and after a moment get to his feet. Max used a little water from Teal'c's pack and managed to rouse O'Neill and Jackson. Carter was out hard. She got the men to their feet.

"Max you seriously need to learn to follow orders."

"So draft me Colonel. What the hell is going on? What is this intergalactic children of the corn?" She asked looking over the Colonel.

"I went upstairs and met this mob of kids, what happened after I went down?"

"We came after you, got there too late. You were . . . well, it was ugly I guess they used up most of their energy on you, they swarmed us before we could really react plus-"

"Yeah they're kids, can't shoot a kid." Max interrupted, satisfied the Colonel would be okay she moved onto Carter. She examined the major carefully.

"What is Major Carter's status?" Teal'c asked.

"Well, she'll be okay for now but we need to get her back to earth."

"What kind of time frame?" Jack asked hiding his concern.

"The sooner the better." Max said succinctly. Jack nodded. Daniel was massaging his neck and looking around for his glasses.

"Sorry Dr. I didn't see them anywhere, hope you carry spares." Max said. Daniel dug around in his vest and pulled out a second pair muttering over the loss of the first.

"Okay, Teal'c take Carter we're getting out of this crazy orphanage." Jack said.

Teal'c shouldered Carter's slight form and stood ready. Unfortunately the team's weapons had also been taken.

"How do we get out of here?" Max asked.

"We came up the same stairs you did." Jack said.

"Okay down it is then I guess." Max said and drew her knife. Whatever crazy shit had gone down on this planet was rapidly losing interest to her; she assumed point and led the team back through the warren of rooms to the dangerous stairs. As they approached the stairs the kids returned.

"Colonel you have to get Carter back to the SGC." Max said brandishing her knife.

"We can't leave you."

"Sir, unless you want me to kill these kids you're going to have to let me be a diversion so you guys can get out of here otherwise . . . well, it'll be ugly." She growled. Jack frowned.

"Teal'c you and Danny get to the gate with Carter we'll be behind you." Max scowled. She lunged at the kids, they backed off awed by the fact that she lived, but they regrouped and began closing in.

"Now!" She snapped.

Daniel and Teal'c began hurrying down the stairs. Jack drew his own knife and stood next to Max facing the feral children. Max kept one eye on Teal'c and Daniel's progress as the children began to attack. She was grabbing and snatching and tossing hurling the children out of the way and away from her, afraid to hurt them but not wanting to fall before the mortals broke free. Once Daniel and Teal'c had reached the ground floor she snatched Jack's collar and belt and hurled him down the stairs. He shouted something unintelligible and bounced down the stairs. The last few steps broke under his weight and he dropped out of sight. His shouts and curses let Max know he was okay. She began to fight the children in earnest as they closed in.

She felt their nails tearing at her and their tiny sharp teeth, pulling prying fingers, sharp knives, and heavy weights driving her to her knees.

"Run!" She shouted hoping the team would obey. As the children closed in and she felt the effects of blood loss dimming her vision and confusing her thoughts she spotted the little girl they had rescued. She was crying. Then it was dark.

* * *

A med team met SG-1 as they returned. Teal'c laid Carter onto the stretcher provided and the team followed the medics to the infirmary. Carter was bleeding internally and had suffered a severe blow to the head but after repairing her internal bleeding the prognosis was good.

"Sir if you hadn't gotten back when you did we may not have been able to do anything for her." Dr. Frasier said.

"She disobeyed orders." O'Neill muttered referring to Max.

"Well technically sir you can't give her orders so-"

"We have to go back for her."

"Of course but sir neither you nor your team are in any shape to do that right now." Jack glowered.

"Colonel I've sent the Marines after Holloway. If anyone can get her out of there it'll be them."

"General that's great but there's no guarantee that they'll end up at the same planet we did."

"Colonel?"

"There was a problem with the dialing computer or some damn thing instead of a reasonably developed world with electricity and a stable government we got a turn of the century middle of nowhere town with no electricity and no adults, just feral cannibal kids."

"Max sacrificed herself so we could get out of there, and we can't get to her sir." Daniel interjected.

"She's stranded." O'Neill finished.


	9. Bad Ju Ju Meets Trust Issues

Max woke up and immediately cursed her stupidity. She was somewhere very dark and very cold, her body ached and throbbed. A terrible thirst burned in her throat. Her clothing felt stiff and tacky she grimaced imagining what a second beating had done to it. She carefully sat up and felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She was half lying on rough cold stone. Somewhere she heard liquid dripping. Hopefully it was water. She closed her eyes and dozed regaining strength. When she felt a little stronger she searched for the liquid. She found it running down a corner of the room and dripping off a carved ledge. It was water, tepid tasting of iron but cold.

She pressed her hands to it and greedily licked her fingers dry. Getting frustrated by the small amounts of moisture she felt around for a puddle finding it she managed to get a meager handful of liquid and slurped it. Finally she put a pebble in her cheek and pressed her hands to the wall waiting for a puddle to form. Sucking on the pebble at least moistened her mouth. After an hour of harvesting the moisture she felt the fiery thirst begin to fade. She leaned back against the cold rough wall and closed her eyes to the darkness.

Max moved and opened her eyes when she heard what sounded like children's voices. She opened her eyes and peered into the void around her. Above her head somewhere the feral children were communicating with each other. There were what seemed to be words as well as grunts and animalistic noises. Finally the voices ceased and there were soft shuffles and scrapes. A chain rattled and a crack of light appeared to her right. The light was dim but it lanced through her dark accustomed eyes.

Max's eyelids snapped shut and she involuntarily looked away from the light. Fighting to open her eyes she peered over her shoulder. The silhouette of a child blocked the light an arm reached down toward her and something scraped on the stone and then the arm and the silhouette were gone, the chain rattled and the light vanished. Max waited for a moment and then investigated what had been left.

There was a container of some kind that felt like roughly carved wood. Inside was something warm and moist. She poked at it and brought it to her face. It smelled surprisingly like roasted meat. Her stomach rumbled. She pondered trying to save some of the meat and then considered how much damage she had taken and healed over the last few hours. She sighed and ate the meat. It tasted strange, greasy, and undercooked but it was filling. She reached to put the container down and her hand struck something. It was a tankard brimming with water. She sucked it down greedily.

She scrambled back to the water dripping and wedged the tankard to catch it. Satisfied that water wouldn't be a dire problem again and feeling stronger with a bellyful of food she began exploring her cell. It was enormous, at least the size of the building she'd been captured in, which she decided likely made it the basement. She wandered around blind, stumbling and bruising herself until she made it back to the tankard and the precious water it contained. She drank what had been collected and drifted off to sleep.

When she woke the tankard was almost full. She used the contents to carefully clean her face and hands and the rinse her mouth. She made it to the far corner and relieved herself and then returned and sat waiting for the hatch to open. She felt a great deal stronger but still weak. She was hoping she could rush the hatch and over power whoever was opening it and make a break for the circle and beat feet for home. Assuming of course that whatever had gone wrong and sent them to this planet had been fixed or wouldn't affect anyone going back to earth . . .

She shook her head. There was no point in thinking about defeat now. She had to know she would get out of there. She had absolutely no doubt she would survive here but she couldn't imagine _living_ here, sure there weren't any other immortals, but there wasn't anyone else either.

She waited patiently as she had for prey before. Finally after an undetermined amount of time she heard the chain rattle. She braced herself below the hatch ready to leap up and crawl out. She waited with eyes squinted against the light as the hatch began to move. She tensed her thighs and jumped as soon as she was certain she could get a grip on the ledge. She jumped as high as she could, her shoulders clearing the hatch. She slammed both hands on the wooden planking surrounding the hatch and hauled herself out. The light was blinding. She stood and backed up until she felt something solid against her back.

There were shouts and sounds of movement around her. As her eyes adjusted she moved to defend herself. There were only a handful of children in the room, all younger than ten but wiry and vicious looking. The little girl Carter had given chocolate was there as well. She alone was unarmed. She stood next to the hatch and shouted at the others.

Slowly order replaced chaos. The children still regarded Max with hostile beady eyes. But they seemed to be listening to the girl. She shouted and spoke loudly in their bizarre language gesturing at Max and making wild gestures. She seemed to be talking about Max reviving from death. Then to Max's horror the little girl knelt before her and then the other children followed suit.

"Ah crap." Max groaned as the wild children began to worship her.

Max knelt and raised the children to their feet. When they moved to kneel again she shouted no and looked angry. They quickly regained their feet but continued to stare at her in a disturbingly worshipful manner.

"I'm not a god guys." Max groaned.

She shook her head and ignored the children for a moment. She need out. Spotting a door that looked like it might lead outside she tried it. It was either locked or firmly stuck. She hauled on it until the frame groaned ominously. She thumped the door with a fist and leaned her forehead against it for a moment. The girl pulled at her hand. Frowning Max allowed the diminutive waif to lead her through the house to the same door the team had used. Their footprints were still evident.

The girl hauled the door open and stood waiting. Max strode forward and paused at the threshold. She studied the girl who stared back with calm knowing eyes. Max extended a hand to the girl, the girl looked over her shoulder at the mass of young children. Slowly she took Max's hand and allowed the immortal to lead her from the house. The other children watched, eyes wide and weapons lowered.

Max wasted no time. She didn't know where the other older children were but it was a fair bet they would be pissed that she'd gotten out. So she scooped up the little girl and cradled her to her chest and broke into a run. She sprinted to the DHD and slapped the seven chevrons for earth. She balanced the girl on her hip as she waited for the chevrons to engage. There was a shout behind her. She looked back and spotted a crowd of older children, mostly boys.

Swearing Max urged the circle on, willing it to spin faster and engage. She looked back again, the children were charging, wielding their too effective knives and clubs. The circle engaged and the spout of water leapt forth and solidified into the familiar sheet of water. Max held the girl close and sprinted, praying that she would find the familiar concrete of her new home on the other side of the water, if not she was screwed. A knife winged past her ear as she ran.

She ducked lower and tried to run faster, insuring the child she held was secure and out of the line of fire. A club struck her lower back staggering her and slowing her pace. She took a flying leap at the circle just as a thought occurred to her, she no longer had the transponder that would send the SGC her safe passage code, what if the metal wall was up? But it was too late to go back. She closed her eyes as she entered the water and hoped.

She crashed to the ground still holding the little girl. The child was wailing in fear. Max murmured comforting things in a soft voice and opened her eyes. They weren't dead, so the wall must have been down. It was the SGC all right the heavily armed Marines staring at her with dead eyes proved that. Max raised her hands.

"Guys its okay, its just me." She said and smiled tentatively.

"Identify yourself!" One guard shouted as another approached and forced her onto her face, arms out the guard searched her and cuffed her.

"Whoa hey guys, come on I'm Max Holloway, I went through the gate like I don't know 12 hours a day ago with SG-1? We got separated, it took me awhile to get back." She grumbled as the guard finished cuffing her and hauled her to her feet.

"This kid is one of the feral children we encountered." She said regaining her feet. The guards looked unpersuaded.

"Come on! I know I look like hammered hell but, where's O'Neill and SG-1? They'll vouch for me!"

"Take them to the infirmary." The lead Marine ordered.

"This is crazy! Come on guys throw me a bone here!"

"Shut your mouth." The ranking Marine grunted and pushed her through the door into the infirmary.

Dr Frasier was waiting, she looked harried and rumpled.

"Hey doc, what's up?" Max asked, twisting her arms to show the handcuffs she smiled and added, "Care to cut me loose?"

"And you are?" Frasier asked.

"Max, Max Holloway, hello? Come on this is lame fellas."

"Max, Max went through the gate months ago. SG-1 has been looking for her, er you, since then."

"There was a problem with the . . . gate?- when we went through we ended up on the wrong planet, I guess they couldn't figure out what happened huh?"

"You're serious? You're Max?" Max sighed and twisted her shoulders she popped one out of the socket and managed to worm the cuffs so she had her arms in front of her. Straightening she used the doorjamb to force her shoulder back into the socket.

"May I?" She asked gesturing to a sterilized tray of tools. Frasier nodded and eyed the guards. Max pulled back a sheet of sterile paper and revealed the tools; she picked up a scalpel in one hand and forced it through the palm of her free hand. There were cries and gasps, she pulled the scalpel free and tossed it onto the tray. She held up the wounded hand and revealed the blue energy of her quickening healing the wound.

"Okay, I'm convinced." Frasier said. Max was given a cursory check and then allowed to clean up and change. When she returned to the infirmary the feral girl was clean and sleeping. The General was waiting.

"Sir, never thought I'd say this, but good to see you." Max said with a smile. The General shared Janet's harried appearance.

"Status?"

"I'm fine sir, hungry, a little sleepy but I'm good. I don't know how long I was there, not too long conscious anyway, they held me in the basement of the building they were living in. I was only awake and active for maybe 48 hours it was hard to tell in the dark."

"How'd you get out?"

"I jumped them when they came to feed me, and then apparently they wanted to worship me, that kid was like my priestess I don't know sir it was weird and I didn't like it. I managed to get her to show me out and come with me. The older kids spotted us though and tried to kill me . . .again. So here I am. Uh, how is Major Carter?"

"Thanks to your actions she's made a full recovery."

"So soon?"

"Soon? Miss Holloway you've been missing for nearly a month."

"Okay uhm, sir I don't see how that's really possible."

"Like it or not it's a fact." Max was stunned.

"Seriously you aren't like playing a really bad joke or-"

"Max!" Adam cried and shook his head at her in disbelief.

"Hi, missed you too." She said and grinned at her friend. She gripped his forearm in a warrior's embrace and felt an unconscious tension ease from her shoulders. Like it or not she had missed him on some level and worried.

"Have these guys filled you in at all?"

"Yes actually they have. See you being all heroic helped convince them that if we couldn't be let loose we may as well be fully briefed on what's going on here." Max gave the General a questioning look. He nodded.

"Okay, so spill."

"This facility is call the Stargate Command."

"SGC." Max agreed.

"The stargate is obviously that circle you leap into whenever you go to another planet now, there's a system of stargates through out our galaxy and probably a few others. These guys are explorers, unfortunately they've also made a few enemies along the way, hence the guns. There's more but it can wait until you've rested and the General has recalled SG-1." Adam said. Max nodded, things were beginning to begin to make sense. She smiled at the thought. Max opted for a cot in the infirmary she didn't want the wild girl to wake up and be afraid if Max were there the child might be less afraid. Besides she was too weary to bother walking to her quarters.

* * *

She woke in the night to see Frasier checking on the girl.

"How is she?"

"Malnourished, undersized, suffering from lice and exhaustion but otherwise fine." Max nodded.

"How about you?"

Max smiled softly.

"I'll live, has SG-1 returned yet?"

"No, they're in the middle of a trade dispute but they should be back by morning." Janet assured Max. For some reason Max had a nagging doubt as to the safety of the team. She wouldn't believe Carter was alive and well until she saw her. Max pulled her blanket close and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Jack bounded in like an overfed sheep dog and poked Max awake. Max sat up confused and then grinned at the Colonel.

"Hi, how's it hanging?" The other three members of the team arrived. They all looked weary and dirty.

"Tough trade agreement?" Max asked.

"Surprisingly yes."

"So what happened? I mean one minute those kids are swarming me, the next I'm in a dungeon and then whammo here, but these guys are trying to tell me it's been weeks?"

"Carter?" Jack grunted. The blonde stood forward and smiled at Max.

"First off, thank you. I'd be dead without you." Max actually blushed and waved the gratitude away.

"No worries Major, life is precious."

"We think that the wormhole that led to the planet we lost you on hit a, well bump in the road. Something forced the wormhole to change destination gates during our transit. It also made it almost impossible to figure out where you were once we got back to earth. As for the time I'm not sure, could it have taken you that long to heal?" Max frowned.

"I don't know. I know the more severe the injury the more it takes to heal but I can't imagine those kids causing the kind of injuries that would take more than a few days to heal. Adam?"

"Well, it's possible it was just a severe injury, or it could have been a slow poison, something designed to retard the regeneration or something that just happened to act that way."

"Weird." Max grunted.

"Agreed, but weird is what we're all about. These guys brief you on what this joints about?"

"Basically, exploring and not getting our teeth kicked in by alien pains in the ass?"

"Yep you betcha." Daniel said.

"Sweet, I imagine there will be things I can read to get caught up on this stuff or will someone have to like spend hours filling me in verbally?"

"We have a system." Daniel said smiling. He seemed relieved to see her; in spite of herself Max was touched.

"Uses magnets." Jack muttered. Carter shook her head and ushered the men out. She stopped to chat for awhile with Janet. Max drifted away half listening to their girl talk. She opened her eyes hours later and sat up feeling stiff.

Max checked for the girl but she was gone the cot was empty and neatly made. Max ran the rough wool material of the blankets on the girl's cot through her fingers, relishing the sensation. She sat up and felt the air crawl over her skin and through each hair on her head, she breathed deeply and felt her lungs stretch, expand, and absorb the rich oxygen. Her eyes rolled in their wet-wet sockets and saw . . . everything, every shade of every color, every nuance of every shadow, the faintest cracks in the paint on the far wall, the broken light reflecting off Janet's computer monitor. Every detail every minor shade it was overwhelming her head swam, her eyelids snapped down and she felt blood rush from her head.

She sat up. It was a dream. The girl slept deep and undisturbed, the soft beep of her monitors lulling the room. Janet's unattended computer glowed in the corner. Max sat up and scrubbed her face. A cold sweat clung to her spine. The dream disturbed her, but as was her way she shook it off and got back to business. She tried to log onto Janet's computer and was immediately rebuked by the security system. She shrugged and kicked back, stretching and loosening the kinks in her back. She straightened up and stood. She walked to the infirmary door and opened it. A sleepy tech was sitting at a desk doing paperwork of some kind. Max sighed and closed the door.

She was suffering, she decided, from a weird sort of jet lag gate travel, losing weeks of time, being repeatedly murdered by rejects from the lord of the flies . . . and being held prisoner, and worshipped, which was weird. The worship had stirred some of Akna's essence deep inside her, some sense of appropriate acceptance. It had scared Max more than she was willing to admit. More than she would ever reveal to the SGC. She bared her teeth at the computer screen and picked at them morosely. She wondered what it would be like to have fangs and started laughing. 

The wild child woke up with a scream. Max's mouth snapped shut and she rushed over to the girl. The girl's eyes were wide and blank with fear; Max made shushing noises and reached for her. The little one panicked and lashed out scratching deep furrows down Max's arm. Max winced as fire flared up to her shoulder but didn't move the girl fought and squirmed until she saw the blue lightning of Max's quickening healing the damage. Then the girl went freakishly calm and looked up at Max with loving eyes. Max's guts roiled, fear, exultation, horror and a terrible joy fought in her chest. She reeled away from the girl dropped to her hands and knees, snagged a waste paper basket and vomited violently into it.

Max fell to her side and wiped at her wet lips. She looked up at the girl. The child was perched on her cot looking down at Max with a beatific smile. A tech and several guards burst into the room.

"Miss Holloway are you all right?" The med tech asked, he was kneeling next to her, one hand taking her pulse, the other bracing her. Max shivered violently and closed her eyes breaking the connection with the girl. She turned her face into her outstretched arm, hiding from the tiny girl. She remained there, lying on the cold concrete, locked in a battle with her own twisting and writhing urges, at odds with her own soul and the trapped souls of conquered immortals.

She faced her enemies again. Each and every one a fair challenge and a fair kill. Yet, each and everyone mad as hell to have lost. Each battled to enforce a claim on her soul to carve out a niche but in spite of the clamoring throng the greater threat was one potent soul. Akna, Mayan goddess and mother a brutal power in her own right wanted it all. Max's consciousness and Akna's battled like titans. But where Akna was brutal and powerful, Max was crazed and vicious. They were evenly matched but Max had home town advantage.

Janet arrived looking newly woken and disheveled, she and the tech got Max onto the cot where she began to have what seemed like a seizure. They held her down and bound her, pumped her with antiseizure meds to no avail, finally settling for weathering the storm they held her as still as they could and waited for the seizure to end. Only it didn't it grew more violent and harried and then she went rigid. Her eyes rolled back and mouth opened, a low wail crawled out of her mouth and grew in volume until it was ear piercing. Then her jaw snapped shot and her body went rag doll limp. The pale blue of her quickening crawled over her skin lighting it up and tracing her veins in cold fire. Finally the light faded.

"Doctor?" The tech asked nervously.

"Make sure she's secure and take her to Iso room one." Janet said and pushed hair out of her face. Whatever was wrong with Max had started with the feral girl. Janet left orders for the girl to be taken to the second isolation room. She then contacted the general and had the security tapes for the infirmary brought to her.

She reviewed the tapes with her staff while waiting for the general. Adam arrived in a huff just as the first tape was spinning up.

"Where is she?" He demanded.

"She's safe, she's in an isolation room." Adams eyes flickered to the screen.

The camera was set high in a corner and managed to catch most of the room. They watched Max wander the room bored and then the girl wake at Max's laughter. Tense silence filled the room as they witnessed Max's collapse and seizure. Finally the tape ended.

"I've never seen anything like this." Janet said staring at Adam pointedly.

"I . . . I'm not sure what happened. Its possible . . ." He trailed off and frowned.

"Dr. Pierson-"

"I think its Akna." He finally volunteered reluctantly.

"How?"

"When we defeat another immortal we, absorb their power but pieces of their personality, their consciousness come along for the ride. Max said those children tried to worship her."

"She did?"

Adam nodded.

"Its possible that they inadvertently stirred up the fragments of Akna's consciousness in Max, and the girl caught Max off guard, woke Akna up, I think that seizure is a manifestation of a much more serious battle, inside Max's mind. Doctor I'd recommend armed guards on the door to that iso room."

"Why?"

"Until we know for sure it might not be Max who wakes up in there."

"Great. Don't you two ever have a normal day?"

"No, not really." Adam grunted. Janet sighed and picked up the phone she reported the situation to the General.

"We're on standby until she wakes up."

"What about the girl?"

"We're running some tests, but so far she seems healthy and human." Janet said. Adam nodded. He left the room and entered the isolation room. The guards hadn't been posted yet. He pulled up a stool and sat holding Max's hand. She was clammy and cool, her face blank, pale, and stippled with fever sweat. Adam sighed and shook his head.

"You find the damndest ways to screw up my day." He grumbled. After a few hours she began to twitch and stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared around.

"Adam?" She asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Hey, feeling better?" He asked relief filling his voice.

"Feel like I swallowed razor blades. Akna was one tough bitch."

"So it was her?" Max nodded and tried to sit up. Adam put a hand on her shoulder and forced her to be still.

"For once idiot stay in bed and heal. The world _and_ the galaxy will survive without you."

"Whatever you say mom." Max whispered with a faint smile. Adam pushed her disheveled hair out of her face and waited until she slept again.

"It's Max." He said confident the viewing room could hear him.

"How sure are you?" O'Neill asked over the microphone. Adam thought about it for a very long moment.

"As sure as I can be." He said finally.

"Not good enough Pierson."

"Jack she saved your team, she saved Carter's life." Adam snapped peeved.

"Understood and we're grateful for that but that doesn't matter if that bitch Akna has her now." Adam closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

"I really dislike you lot at times." He growled. Max steadily improved and was ready to leave the isolation room within twenty-four hours. In spite of her insistence on being allowed back to duty or at least allowed to study SGC files both requests were firmly denied. So Max wallowed in boredom and frustration. She showed no sign of Akna or becoming a goddess.

"If you don't let me out of here I'm going to go crazy, again." Max said and folded her arms obstinately. She glared at General Hammond.

"Miss Holloway the fact is that you cannot be trusted at this time."

"Yeah so you say but you'll never know whether or not you can if you keep me _here_ forever, look either you can trust me or you can't either way I can be useful." Hammond looked dubious.

"Look how about that girl? Is Daniel making any progress learning her language?" Hammond gave her a neutral look.

"She thinks I'm a god I imagine she'll probably respond pretty well if I try to teach her our language, don't you?" Hammond sighed.

"Very well, you will work _with_ Dr Jackson to teach the girl English, however, you will remain in this room."

"General-" Max protested but Hammond was all ready out the door. Max groaned and slid deeper into her chair.

"You know, losing your temper isn't going to convince anyone you're safe." Daniel's voice broke the silence, piped in by the microphone from the observation room. Max glared up at him, he held his hands up in a defensive move and smiled sympathetically at her.

"Hey, I'm your biggest fan." Daniel said. Max nodded wearily and got up, she walked over to the cross training machine that had been brought in for her use and turned it on. She began programming her workout and continued talking to Jackson.

"I know I'm sorry, I appreciate what you've been doing for me. Its just, they want me to prove the impossible to prove, I don't know how I can make them believe that I really truly am me. Adam believes me but he can't prove it either . . ." She finished hitting the touch sensitive keys and hopped on. She began the warm up with a scowl, forcing the machine out of optimum speed; a little warning light came on.

"I know it's not fair. Major Carter and I have been trying to come up with a definitive test but the parameters are . . . tricky."

"Sure how do you tell what's normal for an immortal? Once you do how do you isolate one quickening from all the others, and how do you tell if that's the real immortal or one who's quickening was strong enough to control the real one." She said beginning to sweat and breathe faster. She shook her head and wiped her right cheek on her sleeve.

"So I'm either crazy, lying and plotting against the SGC, or innocent. How do you prove any of that?"

"Or disprove it." Jackson agreed. He sighed and watched her work herself into a frenzy for a few minutes. Disheartened he finally left her to her business. There was very little he could do for her once she was in a mood. He headed for Carter's lab hoping she had made some kind of progress in their quest. He paused briefly outside the wild child's room, they had taken to calling her Sara in honor of Max's given name.

The girl was a mystery. She seemed perfectly intelligent, but at the same time refused to attempt to learn English. She insisted on communicating through sign language and the primitive noises and cries of the animals of her planet and the angry sounds of fighting children. He could make no sense of her ramblings. She was hell bent on seeing Max again and obstinately refused to cooperate with Daniel any longer in any manner. Daniel was very much relieved that Hammond had agreed to allow Max to help. Daniel considered entering Sara's room and checking on her but decided against it. He had scheduled another encounter for a few hours hence and didn't see the point in waking her for no reason.

He kept walking, keyed an elevator and then headed down. Sam was waiting as the elevator opened. She smiled at him.

"Hi, I was just coming up for you."

"Any progress?"

"Actually, yes. I think I may have figured out how to create a polygraph for immortals."

"Really? How? I mean normal polygraphs are notoriously unreliable; they aren't even admissible in court."

"True but all we have to do is figure out what Max is likely lying about. At least then we'll have a starting point."

"Okay, how does the polygraph work?"

"It's modeled on the Tok'ra technology they used on the Colonel and I when they thought one of us may have been an assassin. Basically it scans for irregular emotional reactions."

"What will you use as a base?"

"Adam has volunteered to help us with that, also we'll all need to undergo the same questioning as Max."

"Because?"

"We need to get a read on appropriate reactions to the events on that planet, while

Adam can act as a base for Max we still need a base for the emotional scale."

"Okay, I think." Daniel said.

"So, I'm going to need you to find Adam while I set up the lab.

"Did you try paging him?" Daniel asked with a pained stiff necked expression. She grinned at him, he hung his head in defeat.

"He didn't answer." She said, Daniel was all ready hitting the up button on the elevator control pad. He held a hand up in acknowledgement and ignored Carter's expression as the doors closed.

Adam had become . . . prickly. Denied his freedom, watching Max being imprisoned, being denied information necessary to complete the translations he'd been assigned . . . it had taken a toll. His normally dry, snarky, personality had turned vicious and cruel. He sharpened his tongue and his temper on any SGC personnel who wandered into range. Including the pacifistic at heart Egyptologist.

Daniel knocked lightly on Adam's door. A stream of vicious diatribe tore the air in reply. Daniel sighed in resignation and waited patiently. Finally after a deliberately lengthy pause the door was flung open. Adam glared out and spotted Daniel. The immortal's jaw was set his intelligent eyes were narrowed in a hostile glare.

"What?" He asked acidly. Daniel swallowed hard. He had bandied insults with Goa'uld, fought in dozens of life and limb conflicts, and defeated gods but Adam gave him pause. He licked his lips and spoke.

"Carter said you were willing to help her in the lab." He kept his tone steady and struggled to maintain eye contact. Adam's face went frighteningly blank and then a smile creased his lips.

"Yes, I did." Adam said stepping into the hall and closing his door. He let Jackson lead the way back to Carter's lab. The immortal remained silent and dour during the journey. Finally they arrived; Jackson choked back a sigh of relief as Carter greeted Adam.

"You've made progress?"

"Possibly." Carter cautioned and then launched into an explanation of her idea. As she wound down Adam nodded agreeably.


	10. Exit Stage Left

Adam pulled the electrodes off his skull and chest and stood up. The pointless questions had been asked, answered, and tallied. He stood and watched while Daniel took his seat and was connected to Carter's contraption. They needed mortal baselines and the reactions of the other team members in order to test Max. No one asked Adam to leave so he remained still and observant while the rest of SG-1 was run through the gamut.

"So?" Adam asked Carter as she began cleaning up the electrodes.

"Well, now I need to run the numbers and check what we've recorded. Assuming everything went well we can test Max tomorrow."

"If this machine shows she isn't lying will you let her out of that cell?" Adam asked. Carter winced at his choice of words and sighed.

"That's not my call, it's up to the general and the president."

Adam gave her a cold sneer and left. He went to the gym and worked out his wrath. Teal'c observed dispassionately from his position on an adjoining mat. The big Jaffa observed Adam's skill and speed and calculated his weak points. Finally he approached the immortal and saluted him with his staff. Adam paused and studied Teal'c for a moment, finally he stepped back and returned the salute. He allowed the Jaffa to gain the mat and then attacked savagely.

Teal'c parried and dodged the blows Adam hurled at him. The immortal was more dervish than calculated warrior, but his tactic was working the Jaffa was forced to spend all his energy and concentration defending himself from Adam's savage, wild, and unpredictable blows, worse the few that managed to evade Teal'c's defenses were beginning to leave him bruised and weak. Finally as his arms burned and throbbed Teal'c spotted what might be a pattern to Adam's gestures, he focused and concentrated and timed his action precisely. The staff wove itself into Adam's blows and lanced out viciously striking the immortal hard in the midsection. It staggered Adam enough to force him back and turn the offense over to Teal'c.

Teal'c wasted no time, using staff, fists, feet, and once an elbow he drove Adam to the edge of the mat and rained blows upon him. That almost none got through the immortal's defenses was not the point the immortal was so harried and battered that he could not attack, Teal'c had turned Adam's tactic against him. Eventually Adam used the same tactic Teal'c had and forced a wedge in the Jaffa's offense, he managed to bring Teal'c to the ground and pin him.

Both men were literally dripping with sweat and gasping like a blacksmith's bellows. Adam pushed and managed to throttle Teal'c but the Jaffa drew a blade and placed it against Adam's heaving chest. Adam nodded and released the Jaffa. He helped the bigger man to his feet and saluted him

"Do you feel better Adam Pierson?" Teal'c inquired between breaths. Adam nodded, speechless and struggled to catch his breath as he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Indeed I do." He finally said handing a fresh towel to Teal'c.

"You are a very skilled warrior." Teal'c said. High praise indeed from the close mouthed Jaffa. Adam spared him a grim expression.

"You are at least my equal." He said and tossed the damp towel into a bin. He left the gym without a backward glance. Teal'c's passive visage regarded him closely. Adam was lying; while the battle had been ferocious he could have ended it at any point, not easily but certainly decisively. He was not comfortable with anyone knowing the full extent of his skills. He cursed to himself as he stalked back to his room. He had had enough. While the powers that be had decided to let him in on some of the secrets the mountain held he was still not being allowed enough information to produce effective correct translations, his friend was still basically a prisoner, and every day these powerful mortals learned more about his kind. Fed up he returned to his quarters.

Once inside he locked the door and slipped a chain lock he had installed as well. He stripped showered and then dressed very carefully. Against his skin was a very uncomfortable but useful cloth made from a tightly woven mesh of Kevlar and a heat sensitive flexible metal. The material would turn the sharpest edge and dull his heat signature to help him blend into the back ground. He tugged on a watch cap of the same material that he could cover his head, face, and neck with. He put on what looked like leather driving gloves but were again lined with the special cloth. Finally he slipped on steel toed boots and his regular clothing. He paused and studied his sword. He had a replacement on the outside, this one had no real significance to him but still he did not like leaving Cheyenne without a weapon. He frowned and shrugged so be it, he didn't need it and it would only serve to identify him as an immortal if he were picked up. He picked up a small duffel bag instead and slung it over one shoulder.

Adam stood in his quarters and flexed his hands; he loosened his neck back and shoulders and stared around the room. There was nothing there of vital importance. He left leaving the door unlocked and headed to his workroom.

Once there he logged in using a stolen I.D. and initiated his virus. It was a diabolical construct designed to chew through the SGC database, it would eradicate all information relating to Max and himself and scramble the rest. To mollify the impact he had engineered it with an internal timer, forty-eight hours after implementation the scrambled data would revert to normal but all information about immortals would be lost forever.

Adam stared at the screen for a long moment. If he hit enter there was no going back. The U.S. government would not buy an 'I'm sorry, my bad'. If he decided he wanted back in. But, his safety, Max's safety, the safety and sanctity of all immortals had all ready been severely impacted whether the Watchers and the rest of his race new it. He hit enter and let out a low breath. He stood and left quickly. The virus would crawl through the SGC, inserting bits of itself in every computer powered on and connected to the intranet. That left the hardcopy records and the standalone back up. Adam pulled a thumb drive out of his desk and slipped it into his pocket. On it was a duplicate of the virus. As he locked his door a late patrolling SF passed by, the two men exchanged friendly nods.

Adam paused in front of the secure data room. He checked his watch. He had to hurry he had fifteen minutes to install the virus, insert flash grenades in each of the twelve locked cabinets and get Max out of the iso ward. He considered his options. If he left Max she would likely be fine, the SGC would realize keeping her caged was a waste especially after testing her with the new contraption, Adam was confident that Akna was toast and it was his Max looking out from behind those eyes. He entered the room, forcing the lock and moving quickly. A silent alarm was no doubt sounding even now but he should have just enough time.

He went to the stand alone database first and uploaded the virus. While it was uploading he began forcing locks and dropping in flash bangs, he took the time to insert earplugs and avert his eyes from the flash; soon twelve fires were burning merrily away. He left just as the distant sound of hurried marching reached him.

He checked his watch. There was almost no time to go for Max, he ground his teeth and went for her anyway. The halls seemed endless and the crunching thud of security forces and Marine squads began to echo throughout the level. He hurried along silent and black, a moving shadow, finally he reached the iso room and forced the lock. He snatched the door open and faced –

Colonel Jack O'Neill. Adam's face clouded and he darted away into the SGC. They knew! His heart hammered and mind raced. How? It didn't matter he had to get out. He raced along rounding a corner before clearing it he ran almost face first into a squad of four marines. The four men raised their weapons and began to depress the triggers. Adam backpedaled and raced away the shots were never fired. Moving more cautiously he evaded two more patrols only to be spotted by the cc security cameras and have his location announced throughout the compound. A sense of desperation began to cloud his thoughts he dropped the duffel bag, pulled his watch cap down and opened the duffel bag. Inside was a set of goggles designed to adapt to ambient or low light environments automatically, he pulled them on and drew a small sidearm. It was filled with a potent tranquilizers, he strapped it to the outside of his right upper thigh and attached two replacement cartridges giving him thirty shots. He pulled a respirator out and secured it to his face. He was now immune to tear gas and power loss. He kicked the bag aside and proceeded quietly. The Marines who had nearly shot him arrived.

Adam stood sidelong to them, his new appearance threw the squad for half a heartbeat, long enough for Adam to dart the lead and draw a bead on another Marine. The Marines raised their weapons and opened fire, Adam fired rapidly and ran, not quite fast enough he took a shot to the chest. The alloy he wore slowed the bullet enough to prevent it from being a fatal shot but it hurt and the blood loss was a problem. Adam kept moving hoping the shots had been good and the Marines were now deeply asleep.

He skidded around a corner and spotted the elevators. He sighed and hurried toward them as the fire doors began to descend around him. The lights were cut at the same time. Adam slipped under the fire door and got to his hands and knees. The immediate area around the elevators was now sealed off. Experimentally Adam tried to open the elevators but they were locked down.

He turned his attention to an access hatch which was also firmly sealed. Cursing Adam felt around in his pockets and finally came up with a hard stolen palm sized chunk of C-4. He peeled off a strip the length and width of his middle finger, split it in half and place one half on each of two sets of hinges on the door. He jammed a timer's wires into both lumps and set the timer for forty-five seconds. He moved to the far side of the tiny room and put his back to the blast. He had no doubt that if he survived the blast it would hurt like hell.

Adam woke and got to his feet. The blast had killed him, and severely damaged most of his clothing, the alloy suit was mostly okay with the exception of several large cuts where shrapnel had penetrated. He shrugged on the remnants of his coat and checked the access hatch. The door lay on the floor. Satisfied Adam drew his dart gun and began climbing the ladder to the surface. He was reasonably sure there would be quite a few heavily armed security personnel awaiting him. He wished for one of his flash bangs for a moment and then continued. He paused roughly ten feet below the exit and searched in his pockets again. While he still had a sizable lump of C-4 he did not have anymore timers, which was just as well he didn't want to kill any of the security teams pursuing him, still it might be a good distraction.

He wadded the C-4 into a ball and just before emerging he hurled it up and out. There were a few muffled shouts and then Adam launched himself out of the tunnel, he cleared the lip of the access hatch and darted the half dozen or so Airman and Marines not under cover and took off like a bat out of hell. Shots rang out and Adam felt the air and plant life around him shredded by bullets. His chest stung and itched but had mostly healed. He ran as hard and as fast as he could before his burning heaving lungs forced him to slow from his breakneck gallop to a steady jog. He paralleled the access road to the base and hoped his pursuers wouldn't think he was that stupid, or desperate. But, he was, he had fucked up big time, somehow they had known his plan.

He heard engines up ahead and slid to a halt. It was hard to hear where they were approaching from. He scrambled into a thicker patch of wood land and listened hard. Whatever it was, it was coming up on his right. He settled in and checked his dart gun. He reloaded the cartridge and waited as silently as he could. The vehicle arrived and parked within ten feet of his hidey hole.

The engine idled and at least two people got out and slammed their doors. Adam heard muffled voices. He struggled to remain unseen but catch a glimpse of the newcomers. Finally he spotted them. O'Neill and Teal'c. Adam bit back a curse as O'Neill reached over and killed the engine. They had borrowed a Humvee from an EOD unit stationed at the base. Adam closed his eyes and wiped sweat from his brow. He brought the dart gun up and darted Teal'c first the big Jaffa went down without a word, O'Neill drew his sidearm and keyed his radio before he too went down. Adam waited a few seconds and then dragged the two men in under the bushes into the shade.

He didn't want them to overheat or get heatstroke. He loosened their collars and insured water was at hand when they woke up, finally he dug through the Humvee and came up with a map and a pen. He scrawled an apology across it and tossed it down between the unconscious men.

Adam hopped into the Humvee and killed the radio. He steered toward the highway and goosed the accelerator. As he left in a cloud of smoke Teal'c stirred in his sleep. The Jaffa's superhuman immune system filtered the drugs faster than O'Neill's and far faster than the immortal expected. Teal'c sat up and took in the situation. He drank the water set aside for him and then gathered O'Neill and Adam's note. He settled the unconscious officer on his broad shoulder and headed back toward the base.

Adam raced across the no man's land between the Cheyenne Mountain complex and the civilian highway, as the highway loomed closer he slowed and vaulted onto the access road. The vehicle's frame whined and complained the suspension rocked and sparks flew from the undercarriage but Adam kept the beast on the road and increased speed, finally the on ramp loomed ahead, complete with two weapons equipped Humvees and razor wire draped across it. Adam curse and hauled on the wheel while goosing the accelerator, the rugged low slung beast whipped sideways and shot on to the shoulder it barreled through the catch fence along the side of the road and into open country.

It thumped and ricocheted along the open dirt and woodlands while behind him heavy machine gun fire opened up belatedly tracking Adam's suicidal path. He bared his teeth in a grimace of concentration and wrestled the Humvee struggling to keep it from stalling out or flipping finally he reached a relatively smooth area and piled on the speed. Satisfied that the deadly on ramp was far behind he took a hard left and angled back towards civilization. Over the roar of the mistreated Humvee's engine Adam became aware of the low thump of chopper blades. Scowling he ignored it for the moment. There was little he could do to evade the flying spy while in open country.

Finally he made it onto the highway grateful that it was still dark out and traffic was light. He literally put the gas pedal to the floor and focused on keeping the massive vehicle on the road. The chopper was momentarily forgotten although a plan was forming in the back of his mind to deal with it. The worn tires and battered suspension complained at the further mistreatment but Adam managed to get ahead of the local traffic surrounding him and create enough distance to allow him to deal with the chopper. A low overpass was rapidly approaching. He took his foot off the gas and allowed the vehicle to slow on its own, he didn't want the beast over his head to see the brake lights.

As the Humvee dropped from ludicrous speed to merely suicidal Adam began looking for good points to exit the massive vehicle. He spotted a hillside crammed with close knit ivy and other climbing weeds and greenery he steered the Humvee near it and used a strip of his outer shirt to tie the steering wheel straight. He climbed onto the rail of the Humvee's right side and braced himself. The hillside was not flush against the highway, the embankment ended and there was a good fifteen foot drop before the hillside, and then it angled down sharply.

Broken bones were assured, death was likely. Adam took a deep breath, whispered a mantra under his breath and jumped. He made it, barely.

His left foot caught the top of the embankment sending him into an uncontrolled tumble he hit the hillside with enough speed and force to break his neck, crack his collarbone and break several ribs. Unconscious and dying he bonelessly rolled down the hillside and fetched against a tree stump at the base. A slow trickling brook flowed under him. He remained still and dead as the Humvee rocketed into the overpass and burst into flames. The chopper which had just caught up to the now slower Humvee hovered predatorily as the vehicle burned merrily away. Twenty minutes later civilian and military emergency responders had arrived the military EMTS and crash experts chased away the civilians and were in turn chased away by SGC personnel.

As dawn arrived, sluggishly coloring the horizon Adam stirred. He opened his eyes and sat up. He was soaked and soar, but not in chains. Grinning he got up and listened. There was still considerable activity above him. He began walking along the brook remaining out of sight. He decided he would go back to Bulgaria, and maybe Tibet, civilization was beginning to get a bit too exciting. Above him O'Neill was cursing a blue streak as the forensics team repeated their report.

"There was no one in this vehicle when it burned Sir. Whether he was thrown clear from the vehicle or evacuated before the impact we can't say but there is no sign of any driver or passenger in the immediate vicinity.

Jack scowled at the blackened hulk mashed into the concrete overpass. The general was not going to like this. The rest of SG-1 awaited their commander at the unmarked SUV the Colonel had checked out from the motor pool.

"What's the verdict?" Daniel asked.

"He's gone, he did a bunk, jumped from the Humvee before it blew or got tossed."

"So, that's it he got away?"

"Yes Major." O'Neill said wearily in a rare show of rank. Carter bit her lip but was not happy. Adam had trashed her state of the art ultra secure system. She felt responsible for leaving it vulnerable and wanted to know how a linguist, albeit an immortal one had known so much about high end security software. She pulled out Adam's note and read it again.

Sorry, had to go, wait 48 hrs and things will be normal again. My best to Max.

She groaned and sighed, in 48 hours anything could happen in the meantime the entire SGC including the dialing computer were stuck in the pre-computer age. Everything was locked up even the chow hall was on the fritz. She sighed and stuffed the note back into her pocket.

Jack called into the general and delivered his report via the encrypted phone. The general was not pleased but there was little anyone could do other than entering Adam's information and photo into Interpol. They returned to the SGC weary and frustrated. Max was dying for news.

She had been woken in the middle of the night and asked to talk to Sara, the child was suffering night terrors and refused to be comforted. Obliging Max had been transferred to the child's room and shushed her to sleep. She had been left there as a base wide alert was issued. After a while it became apparent that Adam had decided to go home. While Max was concerned for her friend she was more worried about any personnel who might try to stop Adam. As she paced her room the door burst open and an irritated Major she had never met appeared.

"Can I help you?" She inquired acidly. The officious but well built man regarded her with hostile eyes.

"Where is your friend?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"You do realize he has committed capital crimes including treason?"

"Oh, is that what all that banging and those alarms were for?"

"This is not a game Ms. Holloway!"

"No shit captain obvious. Look he can literally and I mean that in every sense of the word- be ANYWHERE in the world, he knows pretty much every current language and a ton of dialects. I have no idea where he is and cliché as it is if I did there is no way in hell I would _ever_ tell you." She snapped rounding on the Major. He glared at her and left as abruptly as he had arrived.

Daniel arrived next.

"Hi." She said happy to see a friendly face.

"He cause a lot of damage, every computer in the SGC is offline and will probably remain that way for another thirty-six hours or so. No one was seriously hurt, a few bruises and some headaches, and he annihilated a Humvee."

"Is he in custody?" She asked tensely. Daniel sighed.

"No he made it away." She nodded.

"So I guess this means you'll never let me out?"

"I have no idea but I know Jack is arguing for you."

"Look Daniel no offense but what makes you think I couldn't do what Adam just did?"

"Max, talk like that won't help you."

"Fine but it makes me feel better. Is Carter going to use that doohickey on me or what?"

"She needs a computer to use it."

"Ah."


	11. End

Max waited quietly while Carter crunched the numbers from her test. Outwardly she was calm. Inside she was a wreck, she knew who she was but if this test was inconclusive she was toast particularly since Adam had decided to go Great Escape on her. She shifted her weight and looked around the room. O'Neill and Hammond were in the observation room Daniel and Carter were with her as were two armed SFs, thanks to Adam's bad behavior she was being kept on a very tight leash. Finally Carter looked up from her computer screen.

"She's telling the truth." She announced.

"How sure are you?" Hammond asked.

"Positive sir, she didn't lie about anything." Max felt herself relax.

"Can we let her out sir?" Daniel asked.

"I don't see why not, Miss Holloway are you fit?"

"Absolutely sir." Max said solemnly.

Max approached the stargate with a new sense of awe. She studied the stable event horizon of the wormhole or the 'puddle', and felt her chest swell. Never in her entire life had she ever considered such things might exist in her world. In spite of the fact that she was immortal she was a natural born skeptic who had been battered by fate, the fact that such wonderful things could still exist astounded her. SG-1 arrived in the gate room and took up their positions. She shared a grin with Jack and stepped through taking point. A split second before entering the event horizon it occurred to her that even with Adam gone, she felt at needed here, she felt like she had finally come home. Then the wormhole consumed her and she opened her eyes on an alien planet.

A/N: I am ending it here for the time being but there will defenitely posolutely be more to come from Max and the team, Jack insists on it. As to Adam, we haven't seen the last of him either :D


End file.
